How to cook very large Brussels sprouts?
My normal cooking method for Brussels sprouts is to steam them in a microwave steamer like this:
I usually get a bag of the pre-cut sprouts, but this year I bought a stalk and I have some very large sprouts in the mix, so I'm concerned that they won't cook evenly throughout: either they'll be raw in the center, or they—and the smaller ones—will be overcooked on the outside.
Is there a better method I can use? Or could it be as simple as halving or quartering the large ones and cooking them as normal?
Best Answer
Steaming is my favorite way to cook them, keeps the flavor in. I'd halve the really big ones and leave it at that, there's no need to get over-complicated with it. Some will be a bit more done but that's ok.
If you really want to jazz them up do a quick fry with them with a bit of butter, oil and slivered almonds and pine nuts. Yummy!
Pictures about "How to cook very large Brussels sprouts?"
Once You Try Brussels Sprouts This Way There Is No Going Back
More answers regarding how to cook very large Brussels sprouts?
Answer 2
No personal experience with this, but I've heard of people making deep crosswise incisions in the base of the big sprouts in order to fix this. The incisions should be deep enough to reach into the heart of the sprout, so that the sprouts can open up a little bit on the base side as they steam. The steam and heat then reach the inside of the sprouts more easily and they cook more evenly.
(Googling for incisions base sprout confirms that there are lots of people out there who think this is true. Would love to hear from people with personal experience.)
Answer 3
I just suggested this in another thread... You could use the larger ones in a completely different way... Brussel Sprout Chips!
Preheat the oven to moderate oven 180°C/350°F.
Remove the leaves of the brussels sprouts. This is tedious work, but it can be done. You want as many leaves as possible, and you may need to keep cutting away the stem as you get deeper into the sprout.
Place the leaves on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with the sea salt/wasabi/whatever dry flavours.
Bake, turning every 5 to 7 minutes, until browned and crunchy, almost burnt, but not burnt.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Damir Mijailovic, Damir Mijailovic, Quang Nguyen Vinh, Quang Nguyen Vinh