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Recent PostsMarine Fights Vietnam's Dog-Meat Tradition: LA Times article2010 Cookbook Picks and Food Book FindsBrussels Sprouts with Cracklings and Fish Sauce RecipeThanksgiving Leftovers with Asian Flair: Turkey Pho, Banh Mi, Bun, and More!Videos Fight the Faux Pho PhenomenaNuts for Chestnuts: Buying, Storing, and Peeling ThemAlternative Thanksgiving: Butterflied Roast Chicken with Curry LeafHow to Butterfly a Chicken Alternative Thanksgiving Vietnamese StyleElectric vs. Manual Spice Grinders: Buying and Using TipsRecipesAppetizer and Snack RecipesBanh (Crepes, dumplings, cakes, bread) RecipesBanh Mi Sandwich RecipesBasic Sauces, Stocks and Garnishes RecipesChile Sauce RecipesClaypot (Kho) RecipesDeep-Fried RecipesDessert and Sweets RecipesDipping Sauces RecipesDrink and Beverage RecipesGluten-Free RecipesGrilled RecipesMain Course RecipesMeat RecipesNoodles RecipesOne-Dish Meals RecipesPho RecipesPoultry and Egg RecipesRice RecipesSalad RecipesSeafood RecipesSoup RecipesStir-Fry RecipesStreet Food RecipesVegan RecipesVegetable Sides and Pickles RecipesVegetarian Recipes Vietnamese RecipesNon-Vietnamese RecipesHandy InfoAsian IngredientsAsian MarketsBasic Vietnamese KitchenBook Reviews + moreCooking Tips and ToolsEssentials: Fish SauceEssentials: NoodlesEssentials: Pho Noodle SoupEssentials: RiceEssentials: Rice PaperGardeningHow to Find Asian Markets & IngredientsMama SaysTet New Year CelebrationTravelAwards + Praise
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December 05, 2010Brussels Sprouts with Cracklings and Fish Sauce RecipeOne of the great pleasures of living in the Monterey Bay is driving along coast highway and identifying the produce in the fields. This time of the year, Brussels sprouts are king and the fields are being harvested left and right by lots of hardworking people.Brussels sprouts are funny looking, like a bunch of tiny cabbages stuck to a power post or maybe a strange palm tree. Sometimes they’re sold as a trimmed stalk for you to 'harvest' yourself. If you gift someone a stalk of Brussels sprouts, you'll be sure to get a chuckle.
Recently, in butterflying a chicken destined to be roasted, I set aside some of the excess fat and skin to cook the sprouts in. Usually I leave the fat and skin in large pieces so that I can render schmaltz and easily fish out the residuals. This time, however, I cut the bits up to fry them into cracklings, also called gribenes, an ‘in’ food these days.
It was tasty, borderline sinful if it weren’t for sprouts! The fatty richness of the cracklings contrasted nicely with the earthy vegetable. The fish sauce lent color and umami depth. It was a nice fall side dish and a good way to use up the chicken trimmings.
Non-Smelly Brussels Sprouts
If you hate these petit choux because you’ve only had them cooked to death, wherein they develop a sulfurous odor, rest assured that there is a simple workaround. Last week I learned that Brussels sprouts should not be steamed of boiled for more than 7 minutes. Writing in the San Jose Mercury News, produce expert Michael Marks said, “For every minute beyond [the 7 minutes], it doubles the amount of gasses produced -- and the gasses produce that smell.” Set your timers my friends.
Among other sprouty tidbits that I picked up from Marks:Brussels sprouts originated in Western Europe. They are indeed named after Brussels, Belgium. There are new varieties being grown that are sweeter and milder tasting than the ones in the past that may have scarred you. There is more vitamin C from a serving of Brussels sprouts than an orange!
For selection tips, see the Brussels sprouts and Chinese sausage recipe.
Brussels Sprouts with Cracklings and Fish Sauce
Serves 4 as a side dish
1 pound of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
Salt
2 to 3 tablespoons chicken fat and skin, cut into small pieces
Fish sauce
1. Bring a heavily salted pot of water to a boil. Parboil the sprouts for 3 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain, flush with cold water, and drain well. Set aside. The sprouts can be prepared several days in advance up to this point, covered and refrigerated. Return them to room temperature before proceeding.
2. Heat chicken fat and skin in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle on a little salt, then let them sizzle and sear. If they get out of hand and pop up a storm, add a little water to calm them down; raise the heat and cook until the water evaporates. What you want is to render the chicken fat and then let the solids fry in that fat until the bits are golden brown and crisp. Stir them occasionally to ensure even cooking.
3. Push the fat and skin to the side of the skillet, then add the Brussels sprouts, putting them facing down. Increase the heat to medium-high or high. Let them cook for about 2 minutes, until they pick are light golden on their cut side. Turn them and continue cooking for a little longer to heat them through. The cracklings will naturally get mixed into the sprouts.
4. When things are hot and fragrant, add 2 or 3 shots of fish sauce, turning the sprouts so they absorb the seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy immediately.
Related recipe: Brussels sprouts and Chinese sausage
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Cannot do brussel sprouts. Too many childhood memories of over-cooked smelly things on my plate every Sunday. Yuck.
Posted by:Mzungu |December 06, 2010 at 02:58 PMWhen I arrived home from the Farmers Market with a stalk in hand, my husband and 2 stepdaughters professed their hatred of Brussels Sprouts. I was delighted, as that meant more for me! I usually fry me up some bacon, then chop the sprouts into quarters, then remove the bacon, save most of the grease and add the sprouts to the grease. Toss in some pine nuts and there ya have it! After I read your blog I added the fish sauce. Then I went upstairs to take a shower. I came back to the kitchen and the ENTIRE pan of sprouts were GONE. The sprout haters had gobbled them up. So, thank you very much, you have just added a new recipe to our family! (It turns out that they had only experienced steamed sprouts before this...no wonder they hated them!)
Posted by:WineOna |December 07, 2010 at 11:34 PMBrussel Sprouts!!! Living in Scotland, we were brought up getting these forced down our throats a couple of times every week. Most kids HATE them!
Funny thing is now that I am grown up, I absolutely love them...todays kids still cannot stand em though
Thanks a lot for sharing. You have done a brilliant job. Your article is truly relevant to my study at this moment, and I am really happy I discovered your website. However, I would like to see more details about this topic.
Posted by:pest control |December 09, 2010 at 08:27 AMyum yum- i a recent convert the brussel sprout- your recipe looks delicious but with vego kids we cant do. This recipe is our family fave
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/goldencrusted-brussels-sprouts-recipe.html
Posted by:kel |December 10, 2010 at 11:40 PM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
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