Regina Schrambling's Pistachio Brussels Sprouts

Hmph. I don't know who to blame this failure on. And I'm getting sick of the Thanksgiving recap. After this, there's only one more recipe and it's worthwhile, I promise. But in the meantime, I'm going to grump all over this post.

We are a Brussels sprout-loving family, I would say. Maybe not 20 years ago, when my father would steam frozen ones and make me eat four: two big ones and two small ones. But I've grown in more ways than up over the years, and now I can enjoy an entire serving or two of sprouts on a regular basis without screwing up my face and holding my nose shut as I swallow. Most Thanksgivings, my father makes a festive Brussels sprout dish with onions and apples and walnuts. This year, though, I had to mess with a good thing by introducing a recipe by Regina Schrambling from a two-year old LA Times piece.

It calls for pistachio oil, which we searched for high and low at Whole Foods, at Russo's, and at two different Indian grocery stores (which boasted a great selection of all kinds of oils, except, of course, for pistachio), to no avail. We settled for using olive oil instead, but I can't help but wonder if this substitution was at fault for the dish's lackluster flavor. We did use a gorgeous pile of rose- and green-tinged pistachios, and the freshest sprouts I had ever seen. But we made the dish a few hours before our guests arrived, and I fear the time spent in the bowl might have softened the nuts and brought out a fearsomely cabbage-y taste from the sprouts.

In the end, I also have to ask myself if it just wasn't the most inspired recipe from Regina Schrambling. I love her stories and her biting wit, but her recipes have been hit or miss. Go to Orangette or Stephen Cooks for much better Brussels sprout recipes, and hope that my mood is better tomorrow.

Comments

[Pru]

There is a LOT of pistachio oil in that recipe, so I would assume it's a key flavor ingredient. And it's also not CHEAP; check Amazon, where you'll find several kinds. Maybe substituting walnut oil and walnuts (for a different nut focus) would work. But I do think this is a recipe that is all about nuttiness, and that olive oil wouldn't be a fair substitution. Just my opinion!

[stephen]

Hi there...I agree with Pru on the oil substitution and with you on the softening of the nuts...also, my research has turned up the idea that the 'cabbagey taste' is the result of a release of sulphur when the sprouts are overcooked. But the recipe calls for 3 - 5 minutes in boiling water, which would not result in overcooking...but you don't tell us how you handled the sprouts for the few hours of holding, or whether you reheated them, which is where the problem might lie...I would suggest that when you have to hold sprouts after cooking you shock them in ice water immediately after cooking, then drain and toss with a tablespoon of oil. Hold at room temperature, then just before serving, toss them in a sauté pan over high heat with the oil and other additions for about 2 minutes only, 'til they're just warm, not yet hot. Correct seasoning and serve in a warm (not hot) dish. I think this recipe deserves another trial, because I don't think there's anything wrong with it and it sounds yummy!

I love your site, by the way...very creative and useful idea!

[Luisa]

Pru and Stephen - I agree with you both about the unfair substitution of olive oil for pistachio. But I have to say, that is a lot of oil to call for and I would have cut down on the amount, even if we had found it in our search.

As for the overcooking, Stephen, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of my dear father, who cannot for the life of him bear to eat an undercooked vegetable. A 3-minute sprout offended his sensibility so much that he apparently let them cook for longer, behind my back! Betrayal of the most foul kind, no? Thank you, by the way, not only for your helpful hints, but also for your praise. It's much appreciated!

[stephen]

Yeah, my mother used to pressure cook all green things until they were total mush! I agree about the oil quantity too..I don't think I ever use more than 2 tablespoons for a pound of sprouts...Got to quit now or I'm going to be tagged as 'that Brussels sprouts nut' for the rest of my blogging life...!

[Cath]

Luisa, I love that you try these new recipes anyway -- your entries always make me smile, even your so called "failures." :-)

[Luisa]

Cath - thank you, my dear. That's very kind!