3 Recipes to Make You Think Differently About Brussels Sprouts

Like many, I grew up with a strong dislike for brussels sprouts because most of the specimens I encountered were boiled or steamed to the particular shade of gray-green that brought out all their sulfurous squish. 

But brussels sprouts have a lot going for them. Raw, they are crunchy. Browned (and not overcooked), they are sweet and nutty and take well to potent flavors. And fried, they are, well, fried! (And crunchy, sweet, and irresistible.)

Here are three knockout approaches to brussels sprouts from the Cook’s Country test kitchen. 

Frying doesn’t get much easier than this; simply halve 2 pounds of sprouts and toss them in a Dutch oven with a quart of vegetable oil, turn the heat to high, and cook (stirring a few times) for about 20 minutes. Drain the sprouts; salt them; and serve with a stir-together sauce of mayo, sriracha, lime juice, and garlic powder. 

Since the sprouts and oil start cold, there is not as much splatter or mess on the stovetop—it’s as easy and tidy as deep frying can be. And the dipping sauce? You will make it again for other uses; that’s an irrefutable fact. 

Shredding raw brussels sprouts is easy: Just trim the stem end, halve, and slice each half thin. It takes a little time to prep the 2 pounds of sprouts called for here, but the work is easy. 

The key here is to let the shredded sprouts sit in the potent dressing (lemon, mustard, shallot, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil) for at least 30 minutes to soften their raw edge. After that time, the small pieces of sprouts are tender enough to soak up some of the tasty dressing but still retain a little crunch. 

The flavor add-ins for this particular salad are smoked gouda, toasted pecans, and dried cherries, but the recipe is infinitely customizable for most any cheese, nut, and dried fruit that you like. Cheddar or Parmesan both work great; hazelnuts or walnuts are good choices; and raisins, apricots, or dried apples all make for stellar additions. Let your imagination guide you. 

What if you replaced the romaine in Caesar salad with a heartier, more flavorful green vegetable? That’s essentially what you get here by quartering and cooking brussels sprouts until brown and tender, letting them cool, and then tossing them with a robust Caesar dressing. 

Instead of big croutons, this recipe calls for panko bread crumbs toasted until golden and crunchy, which make for the perfect topping. And the dressing—rich with mustard, garlic, lemon, Worcestershire, anchovy, and olive oil—employs mayo instead of raw eggs for convenience.