Submitted 6 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://mander.xyz/pictrs/image/a0b77087-5887-44d7-98d3-d8a7c06e71ce.jpeg
Everything in that image is a delight to the mouth when cooked well.
Brussels sprouts, you roast those little green balls and they turn into a slightly sweet, wonderfully deep and complex flavor bomb. Add a light drizzle of balsamic, your mouth and brain will orgasm.
Hell, you can roast any of them and end up with great taste, though the leafy ones can get over cooked really easy that way compared to a nice braise or saute.
Brassicas are awesome
I did some braised ones the other week on a whim (some stock, garlic, chili crisp and balsamic, browned them first in a bit of Bacon fat) and damn if it didn’t make me reconsider cooked sprouts, I thought I disliked them cooked based on memories being served them as a kid, but I guess I just never had them prepared. Helps that apparently they’ve been selectively bred to reduce bitterness since the 90s.
Boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew.
Roast or saute is almost always the correct answer to the boring veg blues. It largely comes down to the addition of fat and high heat, which in turns adds the Maillard reaction, AKA flavour town. Add some salt and you’re u golden.
Even something as something as simple as green beans gets a million times better when you saute them in light olive oil and hit them with salt and pepper just before they’re done.
There are two reasons why you hate brussel sprouts:
You probably only remember them from when you were a kid. About 15 years ago a new, less bitter cultivar of brussel sprouts was developed, and is now the main the cultivar.
Your parents (or grandparents, or whoever did the cooking at Christmas) probably boiled or steamed them, which is a perfect way to make any vegetable taste bad.
Here’s what you actually do. Dice up a small amount of bacon and lightly fry in a tiny bit of oil, just until the bacon fat starts to render out. Add a nob of butter (altogether the amount of fat should nicely coat the bottom of the pan). Cut your sprouts in half and place them in the fat cut side down. DON’T TOUCH THEM. Let them sit until a nice brown crust forms. Then add a splash of water (or chicken stock if you’re a true degenerate) and cover for a few minutes to steam. When done, a knife should pierce them with some resistance (bite into one, it should have a little crunch to it, but not unpleasantly so; just enough to not be mushy). Drain off the liquid, hit them with kosher salt and a little bit of black pepper.
Note that the bacon is totally optional. If you’re just adding a quick veg to a meal you can skip that part and they’ll still taste great.
That’s basically how we make them, but we also top them with diced green apple, feta cheese and a balsamic drizzle. Absolutely heavenly.
But brussel sprouts are the ideal means of getting butter to your mouth without people looking at you weird.
While I agree with the acronym, I have to disagree with the statement. I really dislike the look of most Brassicaceae. Especially Brassica oleracea :(
I will throw all of these things into a bonfire. Yes I’m a super taster, and yes I have the genes that make these vegetables taste like bitter poison.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 6 months ago
Brussel sprouts taste good now, fight me.
Swallowtail@beehaw.org 6 months ago
Sauteed/air fryer brussels sprouts 🤌
fossilesque@mander.xyz 6 months ago
Little butter and bacon 🥓
Chuymatt@beehaw.org 6 months ago
Pork belly….
And a bit of Dijon.
Hawk@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 months ago
Man no, they lost what makes them so good. Fuck corporations making everything bland.
Prunebutt@slrpnk.net 6 months ago
You’re free to grow the old stuff