Tips for Cooking Brussels Sprouts

The first stage at which things can go wrong when cooking Brussels sprouts is when they are being prepared for the pot. It is very common for people to cut away too much of the remaining stalk, which simply increases the likelihood of the Brussels sprouts coming apart during cooking. It is important to leave enough of the central stalk that all the remaining leaves - those which are not removed and discarded as damaged or withered - are firmly attached to it.

There is also a very common practise which involves cutting a "+" shaped cross in the base of Brussels sprouts. The theory is that this will assist the hard stalk to cook and make the finished sprouts softer. Unfortunately, this practise will also affect the stability of Brussels sprouts and again make them much more likely to lose leaves during cooking.

Boiling Brussels sprouts in water is probably by far the most common way in which people cook them. It is also probably the single biggest cause of why so many people do not like Brussels sprouts. The reason for this is incredibly simple: the vast majority of people overcook Brussels sprouts in this way. When Brussels sprouts are being boiled in water, the sprouts should be added to already boiling, salted water and cooked for eight to ten minutes (depending upon their size) and no longer. They should remain firm after cooking and not cooked in to what is almost effectively mush.

When the Brussels sprouts have been boiled and drained, they can of course be served very effectively as they are. Particularly, however, when trying to get children to eat Brussels sprouts, it may perhaps be a good idea to add something else to them prior to serving them. One way in which I regularly prepare Brussels sprouts is by returning the sprouts to the pot, adding a little butter and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and swirling them gently around until the butter is melted and they are all evenly coated.

Stir frying is both a very healthy and quick way of cooking most types of food. Brussels sprouts, however, are not one of those foodstuffs which we often think of to cook in this way. All I did here was bring a wok up to a high heat before adding some sunflower oil to heat through. I then added a few sprouts and a clove of garlic finely sliced and stir fried for a couple of minutes before adding a shake of dark Soy Sauce. Brussels sprouts cooked in this way are deliciously crunchy and totally different from boiled sprouts.

Although I am sure that a majority of people will not share my tastes, I actually enjoy eating Brussels sprouts raw. I simply wash and prepare them as for cooking before sprinkling them with a little malt vinegar and salt and enjoying their crunchy freshness at its best.

If you do not quite wish to go to this extreme in eating Brussels sprouts but do wish to try them crunchy, this way of cooking them may be for you. All I have done here is take six or sven Brussels sprouts, prepared them as for boiling and carefully halved them down through the centre. I have then shallow fried them with half a small, sliced onion, a pinch of dried sage and salt and pepper for about six or seven minutes in some sunflower oil. It is important to stir the mixture regularly with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks to ensure that it does so evenly. The raw taste and crunch is still obtained from the Brussels sprouts, without actually eating them raw.