As a child, brussels sprouts seriously made me gag. I remember being forced to eat "at least two bites" and hearing how "good they are for you". Y-u-c-k! I did not care if they were the antedote to snake venom. They were gross.
Turns out that I was fed frozen Brussels sprouts. They are nasty bitter and they got soggy too. There was no amount of sauce or spice that could mask that fact. Mom couldn't possibly hide them in a casserole without my gag reflex finding out. Blech!
So, fast forward to 2009 and a cooking class I took in South Carolina. The chef sauteed fresh Brussels sprouts in butter, salt and pepper. That was it. Simple. When I bit into it, I was so pleasantly surprised by the flavor and even more so by the fact that I couldn't stop eating them! No gagging. No joke.
Tonight, I sauteed up some of those little cruciferous cabbages in olive oil, salt and pepper. I like to let the pan get nice and hot while I cut the sprouts in half. I then add the olive oil (about 2 tablespoons).
I drop them sizzling loudly as they hit the skillet. What a great sound. Music, really. I then add salt and pepper using my eyes and my intuition to determine the amount. I stay with them, stirring them, watching their color change to a bright, hot green. They get a little brown. A sign of flavor on the plate.
Ultimately, I like them salty and crunchy. I don't cook them long. I add a little water if the pan gets overheated to prevent burn. Too much water makes them soggy. Too little and it splatters. Just right and it will cook down and steam the outer leaves.
Pretty green half cabbages on a plate and I can't stop eating them. Yum. We have arrived.
A bag, already washed is only $1.99 at Trader Joe's - just so you know . . .
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