Choux de Bruxelles Sautés

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5- to 6-quart (4.7 to 5.7 L) pot
• •Large colander
• •Clean absorbent kitchen towel
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Warm 1½-quart (1.4 L) serving bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim for even cooking

   Pull away yellow or bruised leaves and shave only the dry end from each stem, keeping the core intact so the sprouts hold together. Leave the small sprouts whole. If one is much larger than its neighbors, halve it through the stem; even size matters more than perfect uniformity.

2. 2

   Boil until tender

   Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large pot and add the tablespoon of salt. Drop in the sprouts and cook uncovered at a lively boil for 6 to 9 minutes, depending on their size, until the point of a small knife enters the core with light resistance. They should be tender but still hold their shape and green color. Cook the centers properly now, because the sauté finishes the surface rather than giving them a second boiling.

3. 3

   Drain bone-dry

   Pour the sprouts into a colander and shake it firmly until water stops falling from the leaf layers. Spread them in one layer on a clean kitchen towel, roll them gently to blot every surface, then leave them uncovered for 5 minutes and blot once more. Be thorough. Water carried into the skillet steals heat from the butter and turns the sauté into a wet simmer.

   Look beneath the sprouts before heating the skillet. If the towel shows damp patches, blot again; the surface must feel dry, not merely drained.
4. 4

   Heat the butter

   Heat a dry 12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the butter and swirl it across the pan. When the foam is lively, the butter smells faintly nutty, and the milk solids have just begun to turn gold, add the sprouts at once. Very hot butter gives the loose leaves their frizzled edges, but black butter tastes bitter, so do not wait for smoke.

5. 5

   Sauté and rescue

   Spread the sprouts in one layer and toss or turn them every 30 seconds for 4 to 6 minutes, until several sides are butter-gold and the outer leaves have curled into crisp brown edges. If water collects and the butter loses its lively sound, stop tossing. Keep the sprouts spread over medium-high heat until the liquid has boiled away, then resume; the color will still come, ça se rattrape. Do not crowd them into a mound, or the lower layer will soften while the upper layer stays pale.

6. 6

   Dish and finish

   Taste a sprout and add only as much of the finishing salt as it needs. Transfer immediately to a warm serving bowl, letting the glossy butter follow, then sprinkle the chopped parsley evenly over the top, exactly as the source directs. Serve at once while the centers are tender and the frizzled leaves still hold their bite. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose small, tight sprouts of similar size, with firm leaves and pale, freshly cut stems. Large loose specimens cook unevenly and carry more water between their leaves.
• •If frozen sprouts are the honest option, thaw them completely and blot them several times before the skillet. They will have softer centers and fewer frizzled leaves, but careful drying still gives them good buttered color.
• •Use butter, not oil or margarine. Its milk solids provide the nutty gold that defines this spare preparation, and the water in real butter helps it coat the sprouts before it browns.
• •For a larger holiday table, sauté two batches instead of doubling everything in one skillet. Hold the first batch briefly in a warm bowl, then combine and add the parsley only when both batches are finished.
• •Keep the finish plain. Bacon, chestnuts, garlic, and cream can all make splendid Brussels sprouts, but the source preparation asks for butter and parsley, and its precision is the pleasure.

Advance Preparation

• •Trim the raw sprouts up to one day ahead and refrigerate them in a covered container lined with a dry towel.
• •The sprouts may be boiled up to 4 hours ahead. Dry them thoroughly, spread them on a tray, refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover loosely. Let them stand at room temperature for 15 minutes and blot again before sautéing.
• •Do the butter sauté just before serving. It takes only a few minutes, and holding the finished sprouts under a lid traps moisture against the frizzled leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)