Cream Braised Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables that everyone loves to hate.  My parents never really made them when I was a kid, so I just never really even tried them until recently.  I always thought they were like little cabbages, and I don't really care for cabbage.  But I've been on a bit of a Brussels sprout kick lately.  I love them now.  I probably wouldn't love them if they were just a boiled mushy pile with a pat of butter on top, but braised Brussels sprouts are delicious.  Try them...you'll want to eat a whole bowl.

This recipe is from Orangette.  I'm always amazed at how simple and delicious her recipes are.  Who knew Brussels sprouts with a little cream, butter, and salt would end up being something that I would gladly push steak aside for to eat more of.  The butter and cream obviously make these not the healthiest dish ever, but I made these tonight with light cream and while not quite the same, they were still delicious.  I'll go for the light cream again to cut the guilt a bit since I'm sure these will be added into our regular side dish rotation from now on.

Also, totally dumb side note...I just realized that these are called Brussels sprouts, not Brussel sprouts as I had been typing.  I wondered why my spellcheck kept telling me it was wrong.  Durr.

Cream Braised Brussels Sprouts
From Orangette

1 1/4 lbs. of Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, and cut into quarters
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp lemon juice (I omitted this since the husband isn't a huge citrus fan)

1.  Melt butter in non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add quartered Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring/flipping occasionally until edges of sprouts are a bit charred.  This part is kind of fun, the Brussels sprouts pop like popcorn in the pan while cooking!

2. Turn the heat down to low, add cream to pan, stir, and cover.  Simmer about 10-15 minutes or until the Brussels sprouts cooked through but still a bit firm.  I prefer mine not to be too soft, if you like them that way, cook them longer.

3. Uncover and add lemon juice.  Stir and simmer a minute longer until the sauce has thickened.


Also, I totally forgot to take a picture of the final product because we were very excited for dinner, so instead I leave a photo of the super cute container the sprouts came in.

Hello, Mr. Sprout!