Brussels sprouts they are the sprouts of Brussels cabbage, a very different botanical variety from the cabbage we are used to know. In fact, the sprouts are small buds that grow along the stem of Brussels cabbage and ripen to become as large as a walnut, keeping the leaves well attached and compact and dark green.
The sprouts are collected at different times because they do not all mature at the same time. They are winter vegetables, and they are present on the market between November and March. The most widespread varieties are: the Early Dwarf, the Late Dwarf and the Half Dwarf, almost all imported from the countries of Northern Europe, despite the tradition that narri originates from Italy (they would have been introduced in Belgium by the Roman occupation troops).
How to prepare Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts are eaten only cooked and boiled in salted water. If you plan to continue cooking in another way (in the oven, for example), keep them in water for 15 minutes. For a complete cooking, leave it for 25 minutes instead. Before cooking, cut the hardest core at the base and remove the outer leaves.
Sprouts are very often used as a side dish to combine with boiled or roasted white meat (chicken, turkey, veal). Alone they can be served with a cream cheese, with raisins or raisins, or dressed with a cream and nutmeg sauce, or accompanied by chopped almonds or walnuts.
To remove the flavor a bit 'bitter, after boiled can caramelize them with a tablespoon of brown sugar or a tablespoon of maple syrup and a drop of water: they will be crispy and with a sweetish background. Another method to eliminate bitter notes is to cook them with bacon and anchovies.
