...fresh Brussels Sprouts in their microwave ready plastic bag...Arrrrgh...
...first you trim off the ends...
...and make a little X shaped cut in each end...that's a fiddly little time consuming project for each little sprout...
...then you're supposed to let them soak in a large basin of cold water for 10-15 minutes...but Julia says that this step is 'rarely necessary' as 'modern growing methods {i.e., pesticides} seem to have eliminated burrowing insects'
This is really simple ...then you drop them into rapidly boiling salted water and bring them back to the boil...again - I cut back on the salt Julia suggests to 1 tsp per quart - but other than that you just lightly boil the Brussels Sprouts for 6-8 minutes for preliminary cooking...as Julia says they should remain slightly crunchy at the core and overcooked they taste like stale cabbage...euuuuww... or if you want to do them à l'anglaise (that just means with butter) cook them fully at 10-12 minutes...
...the most interesting thing about the recipe was Julia's method of cooling the Brussels Sprouts - spread out on a towel - not touching - she says you may plunge them into cold water - but the towel method results in a better texture...
...now on to the first Brussels Sprouts recipe - CHOUX DE BRUXELLES ÉTUVÉES AU BEURRE
Substitutions: None
Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking
pp. 449 - 451
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