Love them or hate them, they’re in season and it’s their time to shine!
Commonly mis-spelled as “brussel sprouts” they’re named after the Belgian capital where they became popular in the 1800’s. But are believed to have been cultivated during in Ancient Rome.
They grow on stalks that can reach up to 120cm tall and yield up to 1kg of sprouts. In Aotearoa, they’re mainly grown in Ōhakune and Ōamaru and you’ll find them readily available from May to October.
They belong to the Brassica family so are closely related to broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi and of course cabbages.
Store them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.
Growing up, I HATED Brussels Sprouts. As an adult, I’ve learnt that it’s all about the cooking technique. Boiled, is so last century. So to up your sprouts game, here’s an easy recipe. Even better you’ll also be able to use those herbs sitting at the back of the veggie draw.
INGREDIENTS:
Brussels Sprouts - chopped in half lengthwise
A good glug of olive oil or butter (or for extra flavour use a bit of both)
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
Salt
Pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice
(optional)
Chilli flakes
Nuts
Seeds
Herbs
Shaved parmesan cheese
METHOD:
Heat the olive oil in your frying pan on medium heat. Add the brussels sprouts, cut side down and allow them to cook through, they should start to caramelise. Flip and repeat on the other side. Add the garlic and a good grind of salt and pepper and chilli flakes if using them. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice right away. Mix through a table spoon of chopped nuts or seeds (my favourite is roasted almonds) and top with fresh herbs or cheese.
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