These are sprouting up everywhere!

Choux De Bruxelles Etuves Au Beurre - Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter

Looking for a quick and simple vegetable side dish? Here ya go! I took a lot of photos (below) just to make it look complicated but this is a really fast, easy, and delicious way to prepare Brusseld Sprouts. Choux De Bruxelles Etuves Au Beurre (Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter) looks so fancy and pretty it almost makes me want to learn to speak French!

So, we were dealing with the COVID-19 restrictions like everyone else when I decided to make this. Well, we weren't exactly dealing with it like everyone else. We stopped at the grocery store to get a few things we needed, a bag of Brussels Sprouts, some milk, a loaf of bread -- the usual things. It seemed out of place to not be running around like crazy looking for 18 cases of toilet paper but we stuck with just getting what we actually needed. Not getting into a course of psychology here but I'd like to point out that with some things in very short supply you may not have noticed that Brussels Sprouts still seem to be plentiful! There's your tip of the week -- don't panic, but you can stock up on Brussels Sprouts this week and use one of the many different recipes I've discussed and have a different version each night!

This version started off like all of the others by simply trimming off the ends and then blanching them for about 6 minutes. I'm still amazed at how good these things taste after just being blanched. Their color changes to a beautiful green and they are fresh and sweet tasting (I usually snitch a couple before moving on to the next step). After they were blanched, the sprouts were arranged in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish and then I poured about 3 tablespoons of butter over them (yep, wouldn't be French cooking without the butter). Everything was sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper and then parchment paper was laid over the sprouts before the lid was put on.

Okay, I was a sheep and simply followed instructions. I think Julia put instructions like this paper in just so she could laugh at people like me doing it. I have nooooooooo idea why the paper went on there. A lid was on as well. If you know why, feel free to add a comment to explain the science behind it. I'll no doubt continue doing it because everything turned out good. In turn, my children will do it because I'll teach them to use paper. Then my grandchildren will use the paper because my children taught them. Generations will continue using paper over these sprouts and none of us will know why. For all I know Julia may have done it because someone didn't have a lid for their pot and they used paper instead. Ahhh, but I digress...

Once covered, it went into the oven for about 20 minutes (less is okay if the sprouts are getting soft) to let the sprouts soak in the butter. Out of the oven, into a serving dish, and into our mouths. That was it. Quick and easy and very tasty. It is a nice recipe that doesn't cover the flavor of the sprouts with a heavy sauce or something.

Now you're all set to head out to the store and by a couple of bushels of Brussels Sprouts!

Bon Appetit!