Brussel Sprouts after Brownies? Updated November 2009

Yes, it’s true.  I’m going there.  Brussels.  Sprouts, that is.

Now, when I first met my husband, lo nearly twelve years ago, I knew that we shared an affinity for food.  He could cook.  I could cook.  And boy could we eat!  It made for a nice courtship.

I introduced my husband to homemade chocolate pasta with a delicate sauce made from wild dried mushroom.  He introduced me to unagi.  A fair trade, methinks.  I took him to my favorite Mexican restaurant in all the world (Tequila’s, Philadelphia) and he bought me a four pound lobster in Manhattan (Palm, Too).  I caused him to rethink olives.  He opened my eyes to brussel sprouts.

Romantic, I know.

Knowing his love for the tiny cabbage, I snagged a small brussel sprout seedling to plant in our first garden at our first (and current) house.  We watched all summer long, fascinated, unsure of where the actual sprouts would appear.  Of course, they ended up growing up along the stalks of the (eventually) great beast, and not long after, our local Whole Foods started carrying brussel sprouts still attached to the stem.  Still, there was innocent joy in our ignorance, watching and waiting.

But then, what to do with the prized bulbs, once freed from their stalks?  What follows is his tried, true and ultimately tailorable recipe for brussel sprouts on the grill.

First, clean the sprouts.  Trim the cut ends back without interferring with the leaves, and peel any withered leaves off the bulb.  Score the bottoms (one cut will suffice, as you can see below).

score no more than halfway through

Then place the sprouts in boiling, salted water for no more than five minutes.  NO MORE!  (That was my husband.)  Drain and toss in a bowl with:

a drizzle of oil (vegetable or olive oil)
1/2–1 teaspoon of each: kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt

When the sprouts are nice and coated, place on a hot grill (but keep the bowl handy), turning every four minutes for a total of twelve minutes.  Remove from the grill back to the seasoning bowl and toss to coat with any remaining seasoning.

firm and flavorful

The brussel sprouts are now done. And so are you.

Unless…you would like to doctor them a bit.  In our house this ranges from lemon zest to parmesan cheese to bacon, to all of the above. 

See?  Tailorable.  And you thought that wasn’t a word!

 

I am reposting this lovely recipe after the good folks at Food52 have selected it as a finalist in the “Brussels Sprouts Recipe” contest.  Please, if you haven’t already, visit my recipe on their site and VOTE for my lovely little friends (the Brussels Sprouts, that is!).  Thank you.