Brussels Sprouts With Leek Food

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. water and Brussels sprouts to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8 minutes., Add leek; cover and simmer 2-4 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Drain; stir in butter and salt.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat a large braiser or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the Brussels sprouts and cook, tossing occasionally, until they begin to brown on the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the leeks and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, tossing until the vegetables are well coated in the flour, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the stock and cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sprouts are tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan, mustard and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Top with the crispy onions and bake until the onions are browned and the casserole is bubbly, about 20 minutes.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH LEEK

Steps:

• Place sprouts in saucepan with an inch of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for 8 minutes.
• Add sliced leek, cover and continue to simmer 2-3 minutes or until tender.
• Drain if there is any remaining liquid, and stir in butter, salt, and mustard.
• Keep warm till serving time.

RIGATONI WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS, PARMESAN, LEMON, AND LEEK

Steps:

• Trim brussels sprouts with a paring knife, then snap off several dark outer leaves from each; set aside. Cut sprouts into quarters (or halve if very small). Starting at root end, cut half of leek into 1/2"-thick rings, then chop remaining leek.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium. Add brussels sprout quarters and leek rings; season with salt and pepper and cook undisturbed until deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned all over and tender, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Set aside a little lemon zest for serving and add remaining zest along with chopped leek, garlic, and 2 Tbsp. oil to same skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until garlic and leek are golden, about 4 minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until skillet is almost dry, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until very al dente, 8-10 minutes; drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Add pasta to skillet along with reserved brussels sprout leaves, brussels sprout quarters and leek rings, and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid; toss to combine. Bring to a simmer, then gradually add 2 oz. Parmesan, tossing constantly. Cook, shaking skillet to toss pasta and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until pasta is al dente and sauce is thickened and glossy, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Top with more Parmesan and pepper and reserved lemon zest; drizzle with oil. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

UNCLE JOHN'S BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH PROSCIUTTO AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot like a Dutch oven or stock pot about half way full; heat water to boiling.
• While water is heating, wash and trim Brussels sprouts stalks, remove bruised or tough outer leaves, and cut in half. (This takes forever, so get a helper -- it's more fun that way!).
• Place cleaned and halved Brussels sprouts in boiling water (adding water to cover if needed), return to boiling, and lower heat to prevent boiling over. Simmer sprouts until the outer leaves are bright green and just barely crisp-tender (can stick a fork into one without going all the way through easily). The amount of time this takes will vary depending on the starting temperature of the sprouts, but usually takes about 6 - 10 minutes. Drain and rinse sprouts with cold water to stop cooking; allow to drain again thoroughly.
• While the sprouts are boiling, wash and trim leeks, and chop into roughly 1/4-inch segments. You can include the dark green tops if you want, but they sometimes add a bitter taste, so we usually just use the light colored part of the stalk.
• Chop the butter into roughly half-inch lumps. In a large frying pan (we use one of those giant saute/wok pans), melt the butter over medium heat. When butter is almost melted, add the sliced leeks and saute until they begin to soften. In breaks between stirring, cut the thinly-sliced prosciutto into roughly 1/4-inch strips, and add to the leeks. Takes about 4 minutes.
• Add the drained Brussels sprouts to the pan with the butter, leeks, and prosciutto; saute over medium to medium-high heat until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently, until sprouts are soft and tender. How long takes depends on your crisp to tender ratio preference (I like them slightly on the crisp side, my husband likes them very thoroughly cooked); in general, it takes about 6 to 10 minutes, depending on how cold they were and how much you have when they went into the pan.
• Serve warm. (This is a dish that, if you don't mind very soft Brussels sprouts, will tolerate being kept warm covered on the stove or in the oven for half an hour or so, but we usually cook it as one of the last elements of the feast.).