Brussels Sprout Slaw – Brussel Sprout Slaw
Not Brussel Sprout Slaw – Brussels Sprout Slaw
Their is a difference between a brussel sprout and a Brussels sprout. The former, according to the Urban Dictionary, is an annoying person who does not know that they are annoying and a Brussels sprout is a wrongly vilified vegetable that everyone loves to hate, but eats anyway. Eating something to show your hatred might be an acceptable way to show your disdain for something. Phrased appropriately, it would simply be “I eat Brussels Sprouts because I hate them”. A sort of culinary revenge scheme. Care should be taken though as no one wants to be caught saying “I eat brussel sprouts because I hate them.” as this is just weird. We can’t, for a variety of reasons, accept any kind of cannibalism.
Most of the time is seems we get it wrong. I know this because the Google tells me so. Looking at the vast ways we use the internet super highway to search for Brussels sprouts shows that we mostly search for brussel sprouts. If one did not know better, one may conclude that it is not the zombie apocalypse we should fear, it is the cannibals. The thought of a brussel sprout slaw is enough to make one queasy. Yes, a brussel sprout may be annoying, but slicing them thinly is wrong.
The people of Brussels, who proudly take credit for the sprouts, shutter at the idea of cannabalism. That would be taking socialism just a bit too far. Higher taxes is one thing, and sacrificing the community’s annoying for the greater good sounds like a positive thing, but it is just so uncivilized.
To escape this, the Belgians simply immersed themselves in chocolate and beer. Well played! It also helped ease the pain of knowing that the world record holder for eating the most Brussels Sprouts in a minute was a Swede. What hurt most was that The Guinness Book of World Records 2008 listed Linus Urbanec as person holding the Guinness World Record for most brussel sprouts eaten in one minute. It must have been hard to get 31 annoying people in his mouth in less then a minute.
Just Kidding!
Cooking and eating Brussels sprouts is another matter. There are many delicious ways to prepare Brussels sprouts and one of the best ways is a slaw. With a simple vinaigrette and some nutty crunch a simple but delicious way to eat Brussels sprouts can be had.
One of the most important parts of preparing a Brussels sprout slaw, or any slaw for that matter, is to make sure the cabbage-y goodness is shredded as fine as possible. The tenderness of cabbage and its cousin, Brussels sprouts, is maximised if we can achieve paper thinness when we slice it. A sharp knife can do the job, but bringing out the dusty v-slicer, mandoline or food processor helps ensure a consistent job.
After slicing it is just a matter of gussying it up with a good vinaigrette. Given the sprouts’ place in the mustard family, something dijon-ish might be of interest. Their good fortune to be delicious with caraway is also good inspiration. The little bursts of flavor that the caraway seeds add is a nice contrast to the mellowness of the Brussels sprouts and zing of the mustard.
The addition of nuts, like walnuts, adds a nice nutty note and the fat in the nuts helps mellow everything out and bring it all together.
Brussels Sprout Slaw – Step by Step Video
Here is my simple Brussels Sprout Slaw recipe…
- 1 lb of Brussels sprouts
- 1/2 cup of walnuts
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp of your favorite grainy mustard
- 1 tsp of caraway seeds
- salt and pepper
- Clean the Brussels sprouts and remove any unsightly outer leaves.
- Using a v-slicer, mandoline, sharp knife or food processor with a thin slicing blade, slice the Brussels sprouts and thinly as possible.
- If the walnuts are large, chop them up into smaller pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice and mustard together. Drizzle the olive oil into the juice/mustard blend whisking constantly.
- In a large bowl, mix the chopped Brussels sprouts and walnuts. Dress the Brussels sprouts and walnuts with the vinaigrette.
- Sprinkle in the caraway seeds.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cool in the refrigerator.
- Serve cold or at room temperature.
- The thinner the Brussels sprout slices, the more tender they will be.
- Other nuts, like pecans, can also be used in this slaw.
I hope you enjoy!
And Remember – eat more Brussels Sprouts not brussel sprouts!
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
Do you have a Brussels Sprout Slaw recipe to share? Do you know any brussel sprouts? Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.
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