Brussels Sprouts

Preparation

1. Bland

   Step 1

   Sauté some mustard seeds with your Brussels sprouts if they can stand a bit more cooking (if you overdo it, see Overcooked) or just sprinkle the seeds on top. Or stir a bit of Dijon mustard into them. A sprinkle of balsamic vinegar is also quite good.

2. Falling apart

   Step 2

   Remove the loose outer leaves and mark an X on the stalk end of each sprout (that is, the place where it was attached to the Brussels sprout tree, or however they grow) with a sharp knife before cooking. This will help them all cook uniformly and they will be less likely to fall apart before they’re done

3. Not enough

   Step 3

   They pair beautifully with carrots. Red onions, too. Roast them together with some olive oil and a little garlic. Glaze with balsamic vinegar if you like that sort of thing.

4. Overcooked

   Step 4

   Heat your oven to 450°F and spread the overcooked sprouts on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil and roast them for just a few minutes until brown and crisp. The crispness will offset the softness from overcooking. Or see BRUSSELS SPROUTS, Overcooked in the main section of this book for another option.

5. Smelly

   Step 5

   If you want your house to smell of things in your feast other than Brussels sprouts, try tossing a heel of bread or a hot red pepper into the pot while you cook them. Remove before serving. Consider, however, that Brussels sprouts become smellier the longer they cook. If yours are too smelly, they may be overcooked.