Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan
for people who don't like Brussel Sprouts
I absolutely love to see how my space is growing here on Substack. A huge ‘Thank You’ to everyone who takes the time to read my Newsletters - It really means the world to me (and I love the comments!) x Adré
As a response to my LENGTHY Newsletter from last week, I am going to keep it really (read fairly) short on this rather windy Saturday afternoon in Cape Town.
I want to like Brussel Sprouts!
After reading, for what feels like a million times, just how good Brussels Sprouts are for us I decided to give them another go.
And by another go, I really mean, after so many failed attempts to like them, I decided to rethink my approach to cooking them.
The issue with Brussels Sprouts are (there are a few) that they are hard to cook. They are either undercooked (inedible) or overcook (just ghastly). It’s actually not their (or your) fault, they have a tricksy design, with a rock hard centre and less hard outer, not a great combination for not overcooking this veggie.
But I am in no way a defeatist and do like a challenge so I decided that I WANT TO LIKE BRUSSELS SPROUTS - I want to bring them into 2024 as a modern veggie with potential, rather than a veggie exclusively liked by anyone over 80.
In my recipe overhaul - I decided to SHAVE them!
By slicing them thinly they don’t need to cook that long. I used a knife but a mandolin will also be handy.
I also decided to keep them away from water but rather roast them (my favourite way of cooking but let's not open the Air fryer debate again!).
I paired them with olive oil, salt and pepper and the ‘pièce de résistance’ is smothering them with umami rich parmesan. They are not shy to rich and robust flavours- see below for other flavour combinations.
Why should we bother to eat them?
They are part of the HEALTH ROYAL FAMILY:
They are indeed a cruciferous veggie, part of the Brassica family and the reason they are all the rage is because of two compounds namely glucosinolates and sulforaphane – two very important buzzwords basically meaning they have truckloads of anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation. Less inflammation equals less disease and because aging is essentially inflammation they might help us feel younger too.
In one cup (about 88g) cooked Brussels sprouts, there are approximately 3.5 grams fibre. Getting about 30g of daily fibre in a day is optimal.
Brussels sprouts contain antioxidants such as vitamin C and flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), which help neutralise harmful free radicals (harmful molecules) in the body and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and certain cancers.
Cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage, kohlrabi and pak choi are all part of the Brassica family and I decided to see if I can create a delicious and nourishing soup using most of these veggies. I HAVE and I think it might possibly be the HEALTHIEST SOUP in the world :-) Stay tuned, recipe soon.
The sprouts were created as a TOPPING for the soup but they completely stole the show.
Sourcing Guide:
Because ultimately this recipe only relies on 3 ingredients - you can really splurge on the good stuff here. Just a side note, it’s really a rare occasion on the AK platform to have so few ingredients in a recipe, which translates to, I think this recipe is pretty spot on in terms of FLAVOUR!
SALTY CHEESE:
Did you know that most Italian parmesans are made using animal rennet (details on ‘how’ best not to know) so if you are a vegetarian do look for versions made with microbial rennet (veg based).
I do like to source locally and here in South Africa we have some fantastic artisanal micro dairies who produce delicious cheese. However, I do find SA cheeses lack the maturity that you find in Europe, you know the really soft and smelly cheeses I love.
I do love the parmesan style cheese from Gays Dairy in Prince Albert (called Parma Prince), you can find it at Olive Branch Deli or Wild Organics (the grated version is also delicious) but I also like her gruyere type (here) which makes a good substitute for her parmesan (which I haven’t seen for a while).
Any other good mature cheeses you know? I would love to know.
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL - NEW SEASON:
New season olive oils are pressed in early Autumn after patiently waiting for the wine industry to finish pressing their grapes as they often share the same press. I am eagerly waiting the arrival of my kitchens new season olive oil and this year it will be from the small family owned farm in the Piquetberg.
TIP: I would really make sure that I am buying new season pressed 2024 olive oil at this stage as old stock will mean your oil is more than 1 year old (why pay the same for old oil?). It’s not always easy to know what harvest the oil is so I tend to make sure I know the farm or phone ahead before I order online.
I would love to hear what your favourite olive oil producer is!
Ingredients: (my shortest ‘recipe’ to date!)
As mentioned this ‘recipe’ was always just intended to be a topping and will serve 2 as a scarce side! SO do yourself a favour and double, no actually, triple the recipe! You will thank yourself later.
The leftovers will be great with some morning eggs on top and I think it will make a great side salad with some raw massaged kale, feta and lemon juice.
3 cups Brussels sprouts finely sliced
1/2 cup parmesan freshly grated
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 220c and line a baking tray with baking paper
Add the sprouts and drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over them, season with salt & pepper and roast in the oven turning occasionally. TIP: don’t faff around with opening the oven door too much as you will lower the temperature of the oven and we really need it to stay nice and hot to roast.
The sprouts are ready when some are caramelising, you hear a good sizzle and it all looks delicious!
Other good things to pair with sprouts:
smoked bacon
a good farm salted butter (yes!)
chicken
eggs
leeks
granny smith apples
raisons
strong & mild cheese
cream
mushrooms
onions & shallots
Enjoy everyone!
x Adré