With Thanksgiving arriving and Christmas not far behind, this may be a good time to try your hand at Brussels sprouts, French style. This savory dish — in which the sprouts are halved and sautéd with bacon, with carrots, with both or with neither — bears no relation to the version you may have been served as a child. Garlic and herbs brighten the flavor, and the sprouts retain flashes of lovely green by being cooked just enough, uncovered.
Choux de Bruxelles à la française / Brussels sprouts, French style
Brussels sprouts, which are an integral part of Christmas dinners in Britain and often feature on Thanksgiving tables in the United States, are perhaps one of the world’s most controversial veggies. If overcooked, they become gray, mushy and bitter. In years gone by they were served this way in many homes — including by my mother, an otherwise excellent cook — and in school cafeterias, as a British friend was quick to confirm.
‘One of my worst memories of my childhood was being fed Brussels sprouts boiled within an inch of their life,’ he recalled. ‘They spoil Christmas for me. I cannot bear to eat a sprout ever since.’ When I offered to make the French version for him, he said he would happily eat the bacon, carrots and garlic but leave the sprouts behind. And yet, and yet…
Brussels sprouts cooked properly are mild, slightly sweet and tender. In this recipe, they are first cut in half, exposing their beautiful yellow centers. The halves are boiled to the al dente stage, the key being not to cover the pot so that they remain bright green. The sprouts are then sautéd in olive oil with the addition of garlic, herbes de Provence and, if you like, lardons (bacon sticks) and/or carrot rounds. In the final stage, a little water is added to braise the sprouts and blend the flavors.
Brussels sprouts, a member of the cabbage family, take their name from the Belgian capital because they began being cultivated intensively there during the Renaissance. Garden plots outside the city walls had been used for growing cabbages, which require a lot of space. As the population grew, farmers switched to sprouts, which grow vertically.
These days Belgians have been surpassed as producers of Brussels sprouts by the Dutch and also the British, possibly due to the Christmas connection. Brussels sprouts have pride of place on traditional British Christmas tables along with dishes like roast turkey, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, red cabbage and flaming plum pudding.
In the States, if you’d like to add a French touch to your Thanksgiving in addition to the sprouts, you could check out the following recipes: roast turkey, French style, sweet potato purée, sweet potatoes with herbs, Georges Blanc’s pumpkin gratin, pumpkin purée with parmesan, green beans, French style, and walnut tart. But you don’t need a holiday to enjoy Brussels sprouts, French style. They’re good any time of the year.
Happy cooking.
