Skip to main content

Julia Child's Brussel Sprouts Browned with Cheese




***Okay, so I do realize that there's an infinite amount of other things in this world that are incredibly more exciting than Brussel sprouts. Trust me. Maybe you could take up basket-weaving, learn to play the bagpipes, or maybe even learn to juggle. All kidding aside, the term "Brussel sprouts" has never really inspired a lot of excitement in me.

"Dear, you have to eat your vegetables before you can go play." We all heard this growing up. Many of those not-so-yummy veggies have become some of my favorite things...broccoli, spinach and asparagus all come to mind. Brussel sprouts however, have never been a favorite of mine.


As it turns out though, this particular recipe just so happens to be Amy Adams' (you know...the actress who plays Julie Powell in the new movie Julie & Julia) favorite recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume I. Check it out here: http://www.lhj.com/recipes/easy/chicken/meryl-streeps-amy-adams-julia-child-recipes/

Brad and I were in The Fresh Market recently and we came across a beautiful display of these little Brussel sprouts...after all, they do look like cute little heads of cabbage. For some reason, we decided it would be a good idea to get them, and I just knew that Julia would have a good idea for how to prepare them. And that, she did! I selected a classic-enough dish - Brussel Sprouts Browned with Cheese. I figured any vegetable smothered in butter and topped with cheese couldn't be that bad...RIGHT??

While this dish was really good....as far as Brussel sprouts go...I have to admit that I just don't think I'm a big "Brussel sprouts person"...you know? However, if you're a fan of this popular veggie, then you'll love this recipe! Give it a try!***


Choux de Bruxelles a la Milanaise (Brussels Sprouts Browned with Cheese)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 quarts brussels sprouts braised in butter
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese mixed with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
Follow the master recipe for braising the brussels sprouts (below), but when they have been in the oven 10 minutes, turn them into a bowl. Reset set oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese in the casserole or baking dish to coat the bottom and sides. Return the brussels sprouts, spreading the rest of the cheese over each layer. Pour on the melted butter. Place uncovered in upper third of oven for 10 to 15 minutes to brown the cheese nicely.


Choux de Bruxelles Etuves au Beurre (Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter)
Serves: 6 people

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons softened butter
A 2 1/2 quart, fireproof, covered casserole or baking dish large enough to hold the brussels spouts in 1 or 2 layers
1 1/2 quarts blanched brussels sprouts...partially cooked (see recipe below)
Salt and pepper 2 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
A round of lightly buttered waxed paper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and smear butter inside the casserole or baking dish.

Arrange the blanched brussels sprouts heads up in the casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and then with the melted butter.

Lay the waxed paper over the brussels sprouts. Cover and heat on top of the stove until vegetables begin to sizzle, then place in the middle level of preheated oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sprouts are tender and well impregnated with butter. Serve as soon as possible.

Choux de Bruxelles Blanchis (Blanched Brussel Sprouts - Preliminary Cooking)
Ingredients:
1 to 2 quarts Brussel Sprouts, trimmed and washed
A large kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water
1 1/2 tsp salt per quart of water
A skimmer
A colander

Directions:
Drop the Brussel sprouts into the rapidly boiling salted water. Bring to the boil again as rapidly as possible.

If the vegetables are to be partially cooked and finished off later as directed in the recipe above, boil them slowly, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until mostly tender. Immediately remove with a skimmer and drain in a colander.

Comments

This looks great... and I am not a huge brussel sprout fan.
Have you gotten to see the movie? It is date night!
Celeste said…
Hi Sandi!! Yes...I saw the movie...let's just say it's officially on my Top 5 Favorite Movie List...I adored every minute!!! :)
Anonymous said…
A good story

GK Chesterton: “The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.”

Voila: www.tastingtoeternity.com. This book is a poetic view of 30 of the best loved French cheeses with an additional two odes to cheese. Recipes, wine pairing, three short stories and an educational section complete the book.

From a hectic life in New York City to the peace and glories of the French countryside lead me to be the co-founder of www.fromages.com. Ten years later with the words of Pierre Androuet hammering on my brain:

“Cheese is the soul of the soil. It is the purest and most romantic link between humans and the earth.”

I took pen and paper; many reams later with the midnight oil burning Tasting to Eternity was born and self published.

I believe cheese and wine lovers should be told about this publication.

Enjoy
Anonymous said…
Well, cheese and brussies sounds mighty tasty to me so I'm going to give it a try. Much appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Absolutely Sinful Cinnamon Rolls

***Alrighty, here are the cinnamon rolls that I mentioned in my previous post. I put these together on Christmas Eve, and then baked them on Christmas morning. Let me just tell you...there's nothing quite like the smell of yummy cinnamon rolls wafting through the house on Christmas morning...ahhhhh...so wonderful! This is going to be a new tradition for us...fresh, homemade rolls on Christmas. I thought that I might try this recipe, and then maybe try a new one next year...until I found one that I really loved. However, I hit the jackpot on the first try! This is THE recipe that I'll always use. UPDATE:   Since originally writing this post in 2008, I've  made these cinnamon rolls every year for Christmas!  They are a holiday tradition that my family looks forward to all year!  You can see my other posts here, with lots more photos of these sinful cinnamon rolls: CHRISTMAS 2009 CHIRSTMAS 2010 CHRISTMAS 2011 The great thing was that I could prepare them on Christmas

My Favorite Quiche!

***It's not often that a recipe is worthy of re-posting.  I think I've only done that once or twice in the entire time I've written this blog.  However, this is one of those rare occasions.  Back in 2009 when Brad and I went to Europe, we had the most amazing Quiche Lorraine at the incredible Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris.  It was delicious and was served alongside a yummy salad of fresh greens (Quiche Lorraine sur Salade Verte).  Oh, it was heaven on a plate!  It also didn't hurt that we were sitting on the patio of one of the most famous cafes in Paris, after all...haha.  The atmosphere and people-watching in that particular area are hard to beat. I'll never forget the elderly lady that was sitting at the table right next to us (the tables were situated pretty close together).  She was dressed to-the-nines, was all by herself, and was just the quintessential, classy Parisian lady.  I wish more than anything that I had tried to strike up a conversation with her

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread - Southern Living

***There seriously aren't very many things that smell better than Banana Nut Bread baking in the oven.   Don't you agree?  This recipe for Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread from Southern Living magazine was one of the very first recipes that I added to this blog...back in November 2007!  In fact, I came across it when I worked for the magazine as a Marketing Intern.  Back then, I didn't have a photo for every recipe, and the blog post was simply the recipe and nothing else.  Because this is my go-to recipe for Banana Nut Bread (and because it is so amazing!), I thought that it deserved a little more attention.  This is quite honestly some of the best Banana Nut Bread that I've ever had.  An entire 8oz. package of cream cheese is added right to the batter, along with 4 mashed bananas.  The cream cheese adds so much to this recipe, with an incredibly moist texture being the main component.  Plus, the roasted pecans are the perfect addition.  Roasting the nuts brings out