Choux de Bruxelles à la Crème

The French winter garniture: Brussels sprouts blanched and finished in cream with butter, shallot, and nutmeg

Origin: France

From the journey of Brussels Sprout.

When the Brussels sprout crossed the short distance from Brabant into northern France, it took the name chou de Bruxelles and entered the refined French repertoire of dressed vegetables. Choux de Bruxelles à la crème is the classic French treatment: the sprouts are trimmed and blanched until just tender, then finished gently in cream with butter, a little softened shallot, and a grating of nutmeg, so that the cream clings to the buds and rounds out their flavour into something altogether more elegant than the plain boiled vegetable. The French approach the sprout not as plain winter fodder but as a proper garniture, a vegetable cooked with attention and served alongside roast meats and game through the autumn and winter. The cream tempers any lingering edge of the cabbage and turns the dish into something rich and comforting, suited to the bourgeois table and the festive meal alike. As with all good sprout cookery, the secret is restraint at the blanching stage: the sprouts must keep their colour and a little bite before they meet the cream. It is the French expression of the Brabant vegetable, and the model for the creamed-sprout dishes that spread across the European winter table.

Ingredients

  • 600 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed
  • 25 g butter
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 150 ml double cream
  • grating of nutmeg
  • salt and freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley, to finish (optional)

Method

  1. Trim the sprouts and halve any large ones. Blanch in boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until just tender but still bright. Drain well.
  2. Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium-low heat and soften the chopped shallot gently until translucent but not coloured, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the drained sprouts and turn them in the butter for a minute to coat.
  4. Pour in the cream, add a good grating of nutmeg, and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, turning the sprouts, until the cream has reduced and thickened enough to coat them.
  5. Season with salt and white pepper, scatter with parsley if using, and serve hot.

Notes

A little grated Gruyère or Parmesan melted into the cream makes a richer dish. Halving the sprouts gives more surface for the cream to cling to. This is a classic garniture for roast poultry, pork, and game through the autumn and winter.

The Gastrographer

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