Published November 1, 2011. From Cook's Illustrated.
What would it take to create tender, nutty-tasting Brussels sprouts in just one pan?
Even if you can get past Brussels sprouts’ reputation as overly bitter and sulfurous, you may be deterred by the fussy, two-part cooking process—stovetop-to-oven—it takes to achieve perfect results.
We wanted to achieve nutty, sweet Brussels sprouts in just one step.
Our first decision was to cut the sprouts in half, which helped ensure that they cooked through and would create a flat surface for browning. We then tossed them in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and water, which served to prevent the outer leaves from drying out too much before the center achieved the ideal tender-firm texture.
We maximized browning and jump-started the cooking by preheating the baking sheet in a very hot oven before placing the sprouts cut side down on it. Covering them in foil for half of the cooking time allowed each one to act like its own little steam chamber as the tiny bit of water they were tossed in helped finish cooking the interior even as the outsides began to brown. We then removed the foil so that the slightly softened sprouts could crisp.
After perfecting the one-step cooking technique, we devised some quick variations that we could include in our repertoire all year long.
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