Have bad memories of being forced to eat soggy Brussels sprouts when you were a kid? Turns out, your folks were probably preparing them incorrectly. We're here to show you the right way to bring out the most in those little green balls of nutrients.
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00:00Have bad memories of being forced to eat soggy Brussels sprouts when you were a kid?
00:04Turns out, your folks were probably preparing them incorrectly. We're here to show you the
00:09right way to bring out the most in those little green balls of nutrients.
00:12Brussels sprouts used to get a bad rap, but that's all starting to change.
00:16According to Data Essentials Findings, reported in 2022,
00:19they've seen about a 47 percent increase on menus over four years. Why? Intrepid chefs have found
00:26more appealing ways to cook Brussels sprouts than simply boiling them. The unfortunate thing about
00:30boiling is that it doesn't reduce the bitterness of Brussels sprouts, but does highlight the smell.
00:35Luckily, there are plenty of ways to prepare Brussels sprouts. It has become increasingly
00:39common for restaurants to serve them crispy and fried, or roasted. Tossed in oil, sprinkled with
00:45the seasonings and salt of your choosing, and baked in the oven, roasted Brussels sprouts
00:49can be a recipe for satisfying crunchiness and flavor if they're done properly. According to
00:53restaurant owner Natalia Levy, roasting reduces the vegetable's bitterness by bringing out
00:58sweetness through caramelization. However, many people make a major mistake when it comes to how
01:04much oil they're using. Simply put, they're not using enough of it. So how much is the right
01:09amount? Turns out, there's a good rule of thumb to follow. Use about two tablespoons of oil per
01:14pound of raw Brussels sprouts. A good coating leads to caramelization and charring. Without
01:19the proper amount of oil, you might just get a mouthful of soft green mush. And that's a reason
01:24for their bad reputation.
01:26I love Christmas pudding and would not go without, but nobody ever liked a sprout."
01:31Recipe developer and holistic nutritionist Cassie Johnston, who founded the blog Wholefully,
01:37says that the best way to achieve good caramelization is to cut the Brussels sprouts
01:41in half to increase surface area. To make sure each sprout is covered,
01:45she recommends tossing them in a bowl with the proper amount of oil until well-coated.
01:49Johnston also prefers to use olive oil and adds an important footnote.
01:54It's possible to go too far the other way and use too much oil. Celebrity chef Pamela Salzman
01:59also warns that overdoing it with the oil prevents vegetables from crisping.
02:03It's sort of like when you put a steak in the pan and try to add more oil than you need.
02:07That can prevent the meat from getting a proper sear, and it's the same with sprouts.
02:12You can be left with soggy, grease-soaked food and none of the tasty crust.
02:16That's not what you want for roasted Brussels sprouts. There's a sweet spot for the amount of
02:20oil, and it's important in nailing the right texture of your veggies. Plus,
02:24scientists have demonstrated that highly concentrated fat can come off as rancid
02:28or bitter to taste buds, according to research from Purdue University.
02:32Olive oil is a wonderful ingredient, but too much of it can actually increase bitterness in food.
02:38So one could imagine that coating an already somewhat bitter vegetable like Brussels or
02:42broccoli in too much fat might fail to counteract the less-than-pleasant flavor compounds.
02:47To cut through the fat, you could try adding an acid like lemon juice,
02:51and of course, a sprinkling of salt. NPR says that today,
02:55Brussels sprout species are actually bred to be less bitter than the ones you probably
02:59remember from your childhood. Thanks to the tireless work of a Dutch scientist,
03:03growers were able to identify the chemical compounds that made the sprouts so bitter,
03:07and then selectively grew varieties with low levels of those compounds.
03:11This has made them easier to pair in cooking. A dish using Brussels sprouts can rely on what's
03:16paired with it. Bacon is a popular choice, as it will fry up nicely to add salt,
03:20smokiness, and crunch to the dish. Or, you can consider combining them with balsamic vinegar
03:25and cheese. The bottom line is that whenever you're working with a veggie with super distinct
03:30flavors like sprouts, you want to strive for balance in the flavor. When in doubt about
03:35Brussels sprouts, you could always follow Samin Nosrat's famous cooking method.
03:39Mix salt, fat, acid, and heat, and hopefully everything will be fine.