cooking with brussel sprouts

We never had brussel sprouts as a kid. I think my mother cooked it once or twice, but we weren't huge fans. And they have a bad rap in general circles.

I once bet a friend that I could cook tasty brussel sprouts, but never had the chance to make good on my bet. But I figured with some butter and garlic and a dash of salt, how bad could they be?

A few months back, I was at Porteno's diner in Surrey Hills and I ordered the crispy brussel sprouts as a side dish, just to see what it was like. The answer? Utterly delicious. Chopped in half and either lightly fried or baked until the edges were crispy, mixed in with either garlic or onions and herbs... Very nice.

Anyway, at the markets on Saturday, I saw a small bag of brussel sprouts and figured, "oh, why the hell not" and bought them.

Since then, I've pan-fried them (garlic and salt, with garlic oil) and baked them (butter and white wine and garlic) and the results are pretty good. Not as good as Porteno's of course, but definitely edible and interesting.

What follows is my recipe for Ginger and Soy Chicken on a bed of Garlic And White Wine Brussel Sprouts.

( if you're interested )