Brussels sprouts that you actually want to eat.

Brussels sprouts. One of te most hated vegetables. Mention this vegetable to most and you will watch as their face scrunches up as if you had crapped on a plate and handed them a fork. That is probably because people have had steamed, over cooked, under seasoned Brussels sprouts and that has ruined them. Here is a quick and easy (even easier with my shortcut) recipe that creates excellent sprouts every time.

What you need:

Fresh Brussels Sprouts (as many as you need or want
Flur De Sel, Gray Salt, or your favorite fancy salt (use kosher if you must)
Pepper
Kosher salt
Water
High quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Take a decent size pot (depending on the number of sprouts) and fill it ¾ with water. Add some kosher salt (a couple of pinches, again depending on how much water you use) Bring the water to a boil. While waiting for the water, slice the sprouts in half.

When the water comes to a boil, add the sprouts and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove sprouts and plunge into ice water. Drain and pat dry.

In a fry pan heat some olive oil or your favorite sauté oil (this doesn’t need to be the high quality kind). Add the sprouts face down and sauté (don’t touch them!) until caramelized on the bottom (the cut side) Flip over and sauté for another minute or two until browned on the round sides. Remove from pan and plate them. Drixxle with a high quality olive oil (I have recently become hooked on some great California oils. I love the freshness of an oil that was recently bottled, unlike some imported oils. Pope Creek Ranch unfiltered oil which I absolutely love (so much so that there are only a few tablespoons full left in the bottle). After you drizzle the sprouts with the oil, add some freshly ground black pepper and then some of the gourmet salts. I have been using Penzey’s French Gray Sea Salt, which I carefully sprinkle on each sprout. Eat and enjoy. Then call your mom and tell her that you were wrong all along, you do love Brussels sprouts!

To mix it up a little you can add some balsamic vinegar, herbs and spices, soy salt or other flavors to match your main dish before you sauté the sprouts. You can also use different oils. I recently tried a chili oil with great results. Try grilling or roasting them instead of the saute' too.