Tag: olive oil

Braised Fennel

Side dishes have an important role in Italian cuisine. These, often vegetarian, preparations are meant as an accompaniment to a second course, whether it’s meat or fish, a piatto freddo (literally, cold dish) of cheese and/or cold cuts, or a vegetarian preparation. To have a side of braised fennel was common in my family while growing up, and I now make it regularly.

Fennel is known for its aromatic seeds and as a vegetable consisting of the lower part of its stalks, which form an enlarged bulb-shaped bundle(1). As the stalks separate, they become fibrous and are discarded in cooking. Fennel belongs to the umbellifers family along with celery (which it visually resembles), carrots, parsnip, parsley, cilantro, dill, anise, and other plants which tend to produce flowers in umbrella-shaped clusters.

Fennel Nutrition Facts
Fennel bulb (raw)

Fennel has a strong anise aroma due to the presence of anethole, an organic compound also found in anise seeds. Some say that fennel tastes like licorice, but this is really because many licorice candies are flavored with anise.

Nutritionally, fennel is a good source of vitamins (e.g.: C, A), minerals (e.g.: potassium, manganese), as well as carbohydrates in the form of dietary fiber (non-digestible) and sugar (3.9% in weight).

Fennel is consumed raw (e.g.: thinly sliced and added to salads) or cooked (e.g.: roasted, braised, or au gratin). In this recipe:

  • I sliced the fennel perpendicularly to its fibers to tenderize it.
  • I pan roasted it in olive oil and butter to caramelize the sugars and develop flavor through browning.
  • Then, I added salt to enhance the flavor and to extract some water (via osmosis).
  • Allowed the fennel to braise in its own juice covered with a lid at a low temperature.
  • Interrupted the cooking after 15-20 minutes or when the fennel was cooked through but still had a slightly fibrous texture.
Braised Fennel

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

side dish

Braised Fennel

Ingredients

  • 2 fennel bulbs
  • 1/2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt

Preparation

  1. Slice the fennel perpendicularly to its fibers, discarding the stalks.
  2. In a non-stick pan, warm up olive oil and butter, then add the fennel.
  3. Roast the fennel at a high temperature, tossing and flipping it frequently.
  4. Add a pinch of salt, lower the temperature, cover with a lid, and allow the fennel to braise.
  5. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time, just until the fennel is cooked through.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2019/02/braised-fennel.html

 

(1)Harold McGee. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. 2nd edition (2004).

Piadina Romagnola

Piadina is a traditional flatbread from the Italian historical region of Romagna.

The name piadina (plural: piadine) is a diminutive form of piada (used interchangeably to refer to the same preparation), which originates from the Greek pláthanon: “long dish, baking tray.” Since 2014, ‘piadina’ is registered as Protected Geographical Indication (Indicazione Geografica Protetta, or IGP, in Italian.)

Traditionally, piadina is made of flour, water, salt, and a small amount of lard (strutto in Italian). For a vegetarian recipe, the lard can be substituted with olive oil or margarine. Through the centuries, from a simple bread alternative, piadina has become an iconic symbol of the Romagna region and a widely popular product. Nowadays, it can be enjoyed in special establishments called Piadinerie (plural of Piadineria), which can also be found in big northern Italian cities outside of the Romagna region.

The piadina can be served as a kind of bread to accompany meals, but it’s more commonly enjoyed folded in half and filled with various cheeses, cold cuts, or roasted vegetables. One of the most popular fillings is Squacquerone (a fresh cheese which has a protected designation of origin from Romagna), prosciutto crudo (dry-cured ham), and rocket (arugula).

Having grown up in the province of Milan, I only became familiar with piadina during one of my family’s summer trips to the Adriatic seaside resort of Emilia-Romagna, a popular destination for Italian and north European tourists who are looking for long sandy beaches, shallow Mediterranean waters, amazing food, and exciting nightlife. I remember trying my first piadina in a small theme park called Fiabilandia, in Rivazzurra di Rimini. It was filled with prosciutto crudo, and for me, it was a welcome revelation—one of the first of the many kinds of Italian regional food that I went on to discover!

This recipe was given to me by a friend who was born in Romagna. It makes use of a small amount of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) which acts as a raising agent by releasing carbon dioxide at temperatures above 80 °C, making a light, friable flatbread.

Besides cooking, baking soda has many other uses as summarized in this comprehensive article.

Piadina Romagnola

Yield: 4 piadine

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Piadina Romagnola

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
  • 1 teaspoon of salt (or 1 1/6 if using unsalted margarine*)
  • 2 ounces (1/4 cup) (salted) margarine, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 cup Squacquerone cheese (which can be substituted with Quark)
  • one handful of rocket
  • 20 cherry tomatoes, halved

Preparation

  1. In an electric mixer using the dough blade, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Add the margarine and mix until evenly combined.
  3. Slowly add the water, mix until the dough forms a mass around the hook. Knead until smooth, 5 minutes.
  4. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Wrap the balls in saran wrap and let them rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  5. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a thin disc, 7 inches in diameter. If you want perfectly round piadine, press a similar sized lid onto the rolled dough, then remove the excess around the edges.
  6. Warm up a non-stick pan on the small burner, at a medium heat. Allow 5-10 minutes for the pan to reach a stable temperature.
  7. Cook one piadina at a time, for about 2-3 minutes on each side. If big bubbles begin to form, flip the piadina sooner to keep the bubbles from growing. Continue cooking, flipping as necessary, until lightly browned small blisters appear on the side in contact with the heat.
  8. Remove the piadina from the heat and let it cool until lukewarm, then fold it in half and fill it with the cheese, rocket, and cherry tomatoes.

Notes

* Salted margarine contains 7 mg of sodium per gram, therefore 2 oz of margarine contain 400 mg of sodium, which correspond to 1/6 teaspoon of salt.

https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2017/01/piadina-romagnola.html

 

 

Oven-Roasted Vegetables Stripes

Roasted vegetables are nothing new, but this particular arrangement makes for a truly spectacular dish which can be served as a main course, accompanied with fresh and aged cheese, as well as a side dish.

When I lived with my parents, this preparation was a common Sunday meal feature. However, it didn’t start in my childhood. For some reason, one day my mother started roasting vegetables this way and ever since it has been pretty much her only way. Since the cooked casserole is incredibly beautiful, she would bring it to the table straight from the oven and ask people if they wanted a bit of all the vegetables or if they had their favorites. Since everyone likes potatoes, her casserole would always be generous with the popular tubers.

The striped arrangement, however, is not merely beautiful to see. By keeping the vegetables separate as they cook, each flavor remains distinct and intense. In fact, this dish works best when using vegetables of different flavor profiles and textures, as well as of differing colors. For instance, I decided to pair sweet bell peppers with bitter radicchio, and starchy potatoes with aromatic fennel. But yam, zucchini, eggplants, cabbage, mushrooms, endive, onion, green beans, and shallots can all be used as well.

Why radicchio and fennel?

I chose radicchio and fennel because they also happen to be quite obscure to many of my Canadian friends. They are often even obscure to the superstore cashiers who sometimes ask me what they’re weighing! If you have yet to try them, they’re both a bit of an acquired taste – but I guarantee they’ll quickly grow on you. Radicchio is quite bitter and astringent, but its flavor becomes milder with cooking, especially in the presence of salt. Fennel has a sweet anise-like flavor, though the roasting (and the resulting caramelization) brings out more of a well-rounded umami flavor.

Why pre-roasting?

As you will see, each vegetable is pre-roasted in the pan before going into the oven. This is to equalize cooking times. In the case of starchy vegetables like potatoes, pre-roasting also provides the necessary searing which will keep them separate and crunchy on the outside. The subtle layer of garlic flavoring and the oregano finish, along with the olive oil, all combine to bring the dish together.

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables Stripes

Yield: 4 servings, or 8 sides

Total Time: 1 hour

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables Stripes

Ingredients

  • 3 medium yellow potatoes, diced uniformly (1/2 inch edge)
  • 1 large fennel (or two small ones), sliced
  • 2 bell peppers (yellow and red), sliced
  • 1 head of radicchio di Chioggia (or 3 of radicchio Trevisano), sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, whole - just for rubbing the pan
  • 1/4 cup of vegetable broth, kept warm
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon oregano (dried or fresh)
  • salt

Preparation

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Rub a garlic clove, which you have previously cut to expose the pulp, vigorously on a dry, oven-proof casserole. This will give a very subtle garlic flavor to the whole dish.ingredients, potatoes
  3. Pat dry the diced potato with paper towel. Preheat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan, roast the potatoes for 5-10 minutes at a high temperature, turning them from time to time to sear them on all sides. Note: don't add any salt at this time to avoid osmosis which would extract water from the potatoes, preventing proper searing. When the potatoes begin to brown, add a bit of salt, then put them in the casserole on one of the long sides (as in the finished dish above).
  4. In the same non-stick pan, roast the fennel for 5 minutes at medium heat. If necessary, add a little more olive oil. While it cooks, add a bit of salt. When the fennel begins to brown, remove it from the pan and lay it in the casserole on the side opposite to the potatoes.fennel, bell pepper
  5. In the same pan, now roast the bell peppers (separating the colors, or together) at medium heat for 5 minutes. If necessary, add a bit more olive oil. Start preheating the oven at 180 °C (350 °F). As the bell peppers cook, add a bit of salt. When the bell peppers begin to soften, add them to the casserole, as a stripe next to the potatoes.
  6. In the same pan, finally, roast the radicchio for a minute or two at medium heat until it starts to soften. Add a bit of salt.radicchio, garlic
  7. Lay the radicchio as the final stripe, next to the fennel. Place the casserole in the oven at 180 °C (350 °F) for 45 minutes.
  8. After 30 minutes of cooking, pour in the vegetable broth and sprinkle generously with oregano.casserole, broth
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2016/07/oven-roasted-vegetables-stripes.html

Passato di Verdure (Strained Vegetables Soup)

Growing up, I was used to my mother’s soup made from chunky vegetables in clear broth. I can’t say I loved it – certainly not as much as I enjoy it now – but I clearly remember liking its strained variant: the “passato” (passed through, strained), the first time I tasted it.

This memory goes back to when I was a kid, during a summer vacation. My family and I were staying at our usual “pensione” on the Adriatic coast of Emilia Romagna, in the days before bed and breakfasts. The most common vacation accommodations were “full pensions”, with three meals a day included, and “half-pensions”, which only served breakfast and dinner, and so allowing time for day trips.

The Romagna region is famous for its delectable cuisine, and the pensione was no exception. Each day was special, but the Sunday menu was even fancier than usual, often featuring baked pastas, stews, roasts, a variety of sides, and dessert (which was only fruit on weekdays). Things however were less fancy on the chef’s weekly day off! On that day, reduced kitchen staff used to serve a simple dried pasta for lunch and a soup for dinner, both of which were followed by cold cuts and cheeses. One of those soups was my first passato, and it made a strong impression! Not only do I remember its complex flavor, its dark green color, and its velvety texture, I even remember the corner of the restaurant in which we were seated!

Over the years I learned to appreciate all kinds of soups, but passato still holds a special place in my memory. Like most Italian soups, passato di verdure is made by first roasting the aromatic vegetables (celery, carrot, onion) in olive oil, then adding water and the rest of the vegetables, then cooking everything for a long time to allow for the flavor to develop. To make a passato, however, the cooked vegetables are finally strained in a food mill (or by hand in a kitchen strainer), then allowed to cook some more. The straining process retains the fibrous content, and finely mashes the vegetables releasing all of their flavor into the broth. Mashing also emulsifies the olive oil used for roasting, bringing out even more flavor.

Passato di Verdure (Strained Vegetables Soup)

Yield: 2-3 servings

Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Passato di Verdure (Strained Vegetables Soup)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 onion, minced
  • 1 big carrot, minced
  • 2 celery sticks, minced
  • 1 medium leek, sliced
  • 2 yellow potatoes, diced
  • 1/2 lb squash, diced
  • 1/4 of a cabbage, coarsely cut
  • 5-8 leaves black kale, coarsely cut
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, halved
  • 2 oz Parmigiano, grated
  • salt and black pepper

Preparation

  1. Roast onion, carrot, celery in olive oil at high heat until soft.
  2. Add the leek, potato, squash and continue roasting for a few minutes.
  3. Add enough water to fully cover the vegetables.
  4. Add cabbage, kale and tomatoes (which don't need to be peeled, since the skin will remain in the strainer).
  5. Simmer for 2 hours, covered with a lid, or pressure cook for 1/2 hour (using the vegetable setting if available), which is what I did.
    cooked veggies
  6. Strain the cooked vegetables in a food mill or by hand.
  7. Put the vegetables back in the same pot, add most of the grated Parmigiano.
  8. Adjust with salt and simmer for 15 more minutes. If necessary, use an immersion blender to make the soup even smoother.
  9. Serve sprinkled with the rest of the Parmigiano and freshly ground pepper.

Notes

Like for any other vegetable soup, for a more filling dish you can add pasta/rice to the finished product, and continue boiling until cooked. Because of its density, however, the passato will require pasta or rice to cook for longer, since it will take longer to absorb water (up to 50% more in my experience).

https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2016/02/passato-di-verdure-strained-vegetables-soup.html

 

Mediterranean Pasta with Capers, Olives, Cherry Tomatoes, and Mozzarella

This is a summer dish, but if you can find ripe cherry tomatoes, then it can be made every season. And it’s one of those pasta dishes where the sauce is so quick it can be made as the pasta cooks – my favorites when I don’t have time to plan ahead. Despite its disarming simplicity, this dish is very complete and balanced – the acidity of the tomato is countered by the creaminess of the mozzarella, and the sweetness of the tomato-mozzarella base is countered by the savoriness of capers and olives. I called it “Mediterranean Pasta”, let’s dive into it!

Mediterranean Pasta with Capers, Olives, Cherry Tomatoes, and Mozzarella

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Mediterranean Pasta with Capers, Olives, Cherry Tomatoes, and Mozzarella

Ingredients

  • 5 oz (140 g) dried linguine or spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons capers (brine-pickled)
  • 3 tablespoons green olives (pitted and sliced, brine-pickled)
  • 9 oz (250 g) cherry tomatoes, each cut lengthwise in four
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 4 oz (115 g) fresh mozzarella (e.g. 2 medium bocconcini), diced
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. Toss the pasta in salted boiling water. In a pan, sauté capers and olives in the oil.
  2. Add the tomatoes and oregano to the pan, maintaining medium heat. Roast for 3-4 minutes.
  3. While the pasta cooks, cover the pan with a lid and cook at low heat until the tomatoes wilt (about 5 minutes). Adjust salt and pepper.
  4. Rapidly drain the pasta and finish cooking it in the sauce until al dente.
  5. Take the pan off the heat, add the mozzarella, stir briefly. Serve immediately.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2014/10/mediterranean-pasta-with-capers-olives.html

Roasted Green Beans

Ah the Maillard reaction! The magic behind roasting and toasting which is responsible for the extra flavor in bread crust, pan fried eggs, seared steaks, and even maple syrup and coffee! Maillard browning is the result of the reaction between sugars and ammino-acids (the building blocks of proteins), which happens at temperatures around 150 °C, and which develops a large number of aromatic compounds.

Unlike in North America where cooked vegetables tend to be lightly steamed or even just blanched, in Italy they are generally cooked through, and roasting is common. Legumes especially benefit from roasting thanks to their high content of ammino-acids (which gives excellent browning), and to their meaty texture (which remains firm thanks to the partial evaporation of their water content).

This preparation makes for a satisfying side-dish which is ideal to accompany meat, fish, or cheese.

Roasted Green Beans

Yield: 2 servings (as a side)

Total Time: 30 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Roasted Green Beans

Ingredients

  • 300 g (10 oz) of green beans, with the stems trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons of white wine
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. Heat the oil and fry shallot and garlic until translucent.
  2. Add the green beans and roast at medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing gently.
  3. Add the wine and cover with a lid, cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Uncover and allow the wine to fully evaporate, continuing to toss gently.
  5. Cook at low heat, tossing from time to time, for 15 minutes or until the green beans will have softened and browned uniformly.
  6. Adjust salt and pepper, serve lukewarm.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2014/07/roasted-green-beans.html

Poppy Seed Potato Bignès on Braised Leeks and Taleggio

Going through my old recipe book, I stumbled upon this delicious dish – true comfort food, Italian style! An amazing entree where soft and creamy potato bignès, covered in nutty poppy seeds and deep fried are laid to rest on a bed of braised leeks and Taleggio! The dish is absolutely simple to make and a guaranteed success. The only challenge lies in finishing the two components more or less at the same time.

This recipe has been adapted from La Cucina Italiana (November 1997, page 58).

Poppy Seed Potato Bignès

Yield: 2-3 servings

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Poppy Seed Potato Bignès

Ingredients

     For the sauce

    • 1 Tbsp butter
    • 1 big leek (or 2 smaller ones)
    • 1 cup (250 ml) milk (for the sauce)
    • 1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream (for the sauce)
    • 10 oz (300 g) Taleggio cheese (for the sauce)
    • salt to taste (for the sauce)

     For the bignè

    • 1 small Russet potato (250 g)
    • 1/2 cup (50 g) flour
    • 1/4 cup (50 g) butter
    • 1/4 cup (50 g) water
    • 1/8 of a teaspoon salt
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 cup poppy seeds
    • 2 cups (0.5 l) olive oil for deep-frying

    Preparation

    1. Boil the potato. Let it cool until lukewarm.
    2. Meanwhile, start preparing the sauce.
    3. Slice the leek in thin rings (fig. a) and sauté them in butter for 10 minutes (fig. b).
    4. Add the milk and cream (fig. c), and stew slowly for 30-45 minutes until thick (at that point take off the heat but keep warm).
    5. While the sauce cooks, start preparing the bignè.
    6. Put the water and butter into a small pan (fig. 1) and bring to a boil (fig. 2).
    7. Add the flour and stir constantly (fig. 3).
    8. Keep the mix on the heat until sizzling, and the mix detaches itself from the pot (fig. 4).
    10. Move the mix into a bowl, let cool.
    11. Add the egg and salt (fig. 5). Mix (fig. 6).
    12. Mash the potato with the ricer and add it to the mix (fig. 7).
    13. Mix everything until smooth, then stir in 1 Tbsp of poppy seeds (fig. 8).
    14. With your hands, make walnut-sized balls, roll them over poppy seeds until completely covered (fig. 9). You should be able to make 8-10 of them (fig. 10).
    15. Deep fry the bignès in olive oil (fig. 11) keeping the temperature at constant 180 degrees Celsius.
    16. When golden-brown, remove balls and put them to dry onto paper-towel (fig. 12).
    17. Finish preparing the sauce by adding the diced Taleggio to it (fig. d). Stir until the cheese melts completely. Adjust the salt.
    18. Serve the bignè while still hot on a bed of sauce.
    https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2013/12/poppy-seed-potato-bignes.html

    Home-Style Pizza Competition

    An unusual post for this blog, today. Three friends of mine have just competed in a pizza cook-off, and I had the honor to be the head judge 🙂

    The contestants were responsible for bringing their own ingredients, including their pizza dough (which they made beforehand). To cook the pizzas, they all used the same oven, set at its maximum temperature (550 °F), with the same pizza stone.

    We had two challenges: the first was on ingredients and technique; the second on the choice of the toppings.

    For the first challenge, everyone made their best Margherita. Here is what each did.

    The first contestant, Stefano, brought a slowly-leavened pizza dough which he had raising in his fridge for 2 full days (see below for his recipe). He used canned, peeled whole San Marzano tomatoes (which he seasoned with salt and olive oil), and fresh “bocconcini” mozzarella. The pizza was assembled and cooked for 7 minutes (until the mozzarella started to become bubbly).

    The second contestant, Sandro, used his 1-day leavened dough. He blanched and strained fresh Roma tomatoes, which he then seasoned with herbs, salt, and olive oil. He also used fresh “bocconcini” mozzarella, but he adopted the strategy to add it to the pizza only during the last 2 minutes of cooking (out of the 8 minutes total). He then finished the pizza with basil leaves.

    The third contestant, Samuele, also made a 1-day leavened dough. He used canned Molisana strained tomatoes, with some added salt. He used “bocconcini” mozzarella, added at the beginning of cooking, like Stefano’s. He finished his pizza with basil, a hint of Parmigiano, and a generous amount of olive oil.

    Here is how this challenge went.

    All three contestants used a bit too much tomato sauce. Stefano had the best dough of all three. Sandro’s dough was a close second. Stefano’s tomatoes were good but slightly under-seasoned. Sandro’s tomatoes had the most flavor but were a bit watery (possibly because he used fresh tomatoes). Samuele’s tomatoes were the best of all three, although he put a little too much salt on them. Overall, Sandro’s mozzarella tasted best: being it cooked just slightly, it kept its milkiness, tasting more authentic. Overall, Sandro won this challenge.

    For the second challenge, the contestants were asked to show off their best toppings.

    Stefano went with a proven combination: speck and fontina. He prepared his Margherita base, with fontina mixed in with the mozzarella. Half-way through the cooking, he topped up the pizza with slices of speck.

    Sandro also used his Margherita base, to which he added sautéed onions and gorgonzola cheese. After the pizza was cooked, he topped it off with raw prosciutto.

    At this point, we were all too full, and Samuele decided to drop out of the competition 🙂

    Overall Sandro’s toppings were considered more creative and with a more distinct flavor then Stefano’s; also because Stefano’s fontina was too mild and we couldn’t really taste it. Sandro also won the second competition!

    Stefano's Pizza Dough

    #Stefano's Pizza Dough

    Ingredients

       Quantities per person.

      • 200 g all purpose flour
      • 125 g cold water
      • 5 g salt
      • 1.5 g fresh yeast (or 0.7 g dry yeast)

      Preparation

      1. I mix water and yeast until the yeast is fully melted. I then add half of the flour. I mix well, then add the salt. Finally, I slowly incorporate the rest of the flour, a bit at a time (it needs to be kneaded well, I use Kitchen Aid for at least 15 minutes).
      2. I then store it in the fridge for 2 days in a sealed container. I add a film of olive oil to keep the dough from developing a crust.
      3. The day of the pizza, I take it out of the fridge. I let it rest for another hour, then I divide it in equal portions, one per person. I put each portion in a different container to do the final leavening at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours.
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2013/10/home-style-pizza-competition.html

      Stewed Brussels Sprouts

      Brussels sprout sticks
      Brussels sprouts sticks

      Not everybody loves Brussels sprouts. But, unless you are overly sensitive to bitter flavors, you will find this to be a delicious side dish.

      Brussels sprouts are the buds of a kind of cabbage belonging to the Brassica family (along with broccoli, cabbage, kale, turnip, and mustard). This vegetable has an inherent bitterness that constitutes a defense mechanism, but it can be minimized by first roasting it, and then stewing it. Roasting, in fact, adds flavor due to browning, but mostly allows the inside part of the Brussels sprouts (which is the part where the bitterness is the most intense) to reach an intermediate temperature (60 to 80 °C) which activates the enzymes responsible for the flavor generation. The enzymes’ activity stops when the temperature reaches 100 °C – if this temperature is reached too quickly (like when the vegetables are plunged into boiling water), the bitterness remains intense(1). After roasting, the Brussels sprouts can be stewed to complete the cooking. It’s important, however, not to overcook them since they otherwise develop a sulfur odor.

      But enough of all of this theory! Let’s get on the recipe 🙂

      (1) Harold McGee. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. 2nd edition (2004).

      Stewed Brussels Sprouts

      Yield: 2 servings (as a side)

      Total Time: 25 minutes

      Prep Time: 5 minutes

      Cook Time: 20 minutes

      Stewed Brussels Sprouts

      Ingredients

      • 300 g (10 oz) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and washed
      • 1 T olive oil
      • 1 small shallot, sliced
      • 1 clove of garlic, minced
      • 1 splash of white wine
      • ½ glass of vegetable stock
      • salt

      Preparation

      1. Fry garlic and shallot in olive oil at medium heat for a couple of minutes.
      2. Add the Brussels sprouts, roast for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
      3. Add the wine and allow it to evaporate fully.
      4. Add the vegetable stock, cover and stew for 15 minutes at medium-low heat.
      https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2013/10/stewed-brussels-sprouts.html