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Brussels Sprouts Braised in ButterBrussels Sprouts Braised in Butter
August 28, 2019 | Updated February 15, 2023 | Laura
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✽ Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I | Julia Child ✽
Julia Child Recipes 41-42 | 486 recipes to go!
✽ Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter [Choux de Bruxelles Ѐtuvé au Beurre], p. 451
✽ Blanched Brussels Sprouts- Preliminary Cooking [Choux de Bruxelles Blanchis], p. 450
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✽ Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I was written by Julia Child who co-authored with Simone Beck & Louisette Bertholle and was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1961.
✽ You can buy Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I which contains these recipes here. (affiliate link)
The purpose of this Julia Child section of my blog is to document my journey of learning how to cook. To show my successes, my failures, and what I learned along the way.
Since I didn't create these recipes (if only!), I do not post exact amounts of ingredients or word-for-word instructions. If any of these recipes spark your interest, I highly recommend you buy Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (affiliate link). It's a great investment and learning tool and contains hundreds of classic recipes.
What you will find on my blog is:
✽ Butter Count & Cost Total
✽ How the Recipe Tasted
✽ Answers to Questions about Recipe
✽ Fun Facts about Recipe or an Ingredient Used
✽ The Recipe Process
✽ Step-by-Step and Final Photos of Recipe
I hope that you enjoy reading my thoughts, learn something new, and leave inspired to try a new recipe. Bon appétit!
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Butter Count & Cost: Choux de Bruxelles Etuves au Beurre
✽ Butter Count: +5.5 TB
✽ Cost: $5.59 [~$0.93 per serving]
Check out the total Julia Child butter count & cost here!
→ Looking for a different Julia Child recipe? Here's a list of all of the completed and pending Mastering the Art of French Cooking recipes!
Wait.. Do I like Brussels Sprouts now?
This post will be relatively short. I just wanted to write about my first time ever cooking Brussels Sprouts.
There are two foods in this world that I absolutely cannot stand- Brussels Sprouts and American cheese. This took a lot of courage to make, but I went into it very optimistic. If I did not like Julia’s Brussels Sprouts then I would simply accept the fact that I did not like Brussels Sprouts in general.
Spoiler alert- I ate all my Brussels Sprouts. Butter is a magical ingredient, indeed.
Buttered Brussels Sprouts: Questions
✽ How do you pick good Brussels sprouts?
Choose Brussels sprouts that are firm and have bright green leaves that are tightly packed. Try to choose sprouts that are roughly all the same size so they cook evenly.
Any Brussels sprouts that are soft when squeezed are overmature and will not keep their shape when cooked. Avoid any sprouts that have yellow inner leaves, loosely packed leaves, or black spots.
✽ How do you prep Brussels sprouts for cooking?
First, trim off the base. Then each sprout has a cross pierced into the trimmed base. This allows for them to cook quicker and more evenly. Remove any wilted or yellowish leaves, and wash the sprouts well.
✽ What do Brussels Sprouts taste like?
Growing up, I disliked Brussels sprouts because I always found that they tasted bitter. The smell is also less than desirable.
However, when cooked properly Brussels sprouts can taste pretty good even to this prior Brussels sprouts hater.
Brussels sprouts are related to cabbage so their taste is similar. They also look like mini cabbages! When eaten raw or boiled quickly, people find them to taste bitter. Sauteed, braised, or roasted Brussel sprouts will taste more sweet and nutty. Roasted sprouts are my favorite!
Of course, cooking them with butter, bacon, or cheese will make them even tastier!
Looking for more Julia Child vegetable recipes to read about?
→ Check out all of the vegetable recipes that I've completed so far!
Fun Facts about Brussels Sprouts
*Find these facts plus lots more on Hitchcock Farms.*
✽ Where did Brussels sprouts get their name?
The vegetable is named after the capital of Belgium, Brussels. They were a popular crop there in the 16th century.
✽ How many Brussels sprouts are grown each year in US?
The US produces 70 million pounds of Brussels sprouts each year!
✽ How and when did Brussels sprouts get to America?
Brussels sprouts were introduced to America in the 18th century by French settlers in Louisiana.
✽ Who are Brussels sprouts relatives?
Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables belonging to the family Brassicaceae. Also in the group are broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, and kale.
How to Make Braised Brussels Sprouts
✽ Step 1: Blanching Brussels Sprouts
The first thing to do to make these life-changing Brussels Sprouts is to blanch them. I really have started to become a firm believer that the blanching step in making Brussel sprouts is crucial. Perhaps the parboiling in salt water helps the sprouts be not so bitter. It’s also great because you can blanch ahead-of-time.
The blanching step is simple and the same as before- put vegetables in large pot of boiling salt water for about 6-8 minutes, or until almost tender.
✽ Step 2: Add Brussels Sprouts to Dish
From here, you can pick which recipe you would like to use. I decided on the simple Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter.
The sprouts are placed in a buttered casserole dish and sprinkled with seasonings and melted butter.
✽ Step 3: Simmer on Stove then Bake
Lay a buttered parchment paper over the casserole dish and cook on top of stove until the vegetables begin to sizzle then into the oven they go! Bake for about 20 minutes or “until the sprouts are tender and well impregnated with butter.” Because who doesn’t want their vegetables to be well impregnated with butter?
I’ll definitely be making these sprouts again. I would not go as far as to say they are my favorite vegetable now by any means, but it definitely is an improvement for me.
If you are not a fan of sprouts, I challenge you to try this Julia recipe first before you completely turn against them. Or roast the sprouts- also a life-changing experience.
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Edit: These pictures are.. not great. I apologize. When making these early recipes I was working in an extrememly tiny kitchen that had pratically zero counter space and very poor lighting. My only saving grace was that somebody once had one of those pull-out cutting boards installed. What a life saver.
I was also in pharmacy school, getting minimal sleep, working for free, completely broke, didn't know the first thing about taking photos, and knew practically nothing about French cooking (or cooking in general for that matter).
I've debated taking these old posts down but decided to keep them up because they are all a part of my journey. These photos and my written struggles remind me how far I've come! I can pretty much make these base recipes in my sleep now.
You don't need fancy equipment or the finest ingredients to enjoy cooking and make good food. As one of my favorite cartoon characters, Ms. Frizzle, says, "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!"
*This blog, Laura the Gastronaut, and this post were/are not endorsed or supported by Julia Child or The Julia Child Foundation.
Category: Julia Child, Vegetables Cuisine: French
Keywords: braised brussels sprouts recipe, french brussels sprouts recipe, julia child brussels sprouts recipe, brussels sprouts with butter, julia child vegetable recipes
✽ Did you make this recipe too?
→ Let me know by leaving a comment below and sharing on Instagram. Tag @laurathegastronaut and hashtag it #laurathegastronaut.
More Vegetable Recipes:
✽ Canned Peas (take those canned peas to the next level)
✽ Creamed Carrots (creamy and delicious carrot side dish)
✽ Turnip and Potato Puree (the recipe that made me realize I love turnips)
→ Check out all of the completed Julia Child vegetable recipes!
✽ You can find this recipe and all the other Julia Child recipes I make in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I (affiliate link).
→ Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I was written by Julia Child who co-authored with Simone Beck & Louisette Bertholle and was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1961.
✽ Check out my Julia Child Recipe Checklist to see a list of all my completed and pending recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking!
Bon appétit!
August 28, 2019 by Laura Ehlers
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