Oct 18

Oct 18 In Season: BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Photos: Jan-Peter Westermann
Recipe & Text: Marc Wieberneit

What does October give us in the way of seasonal veggies and fruits?

All kinds of ideas shoot through my head – apples and pears, salsify and Jerusalem artichokes, but most of all: Brussel sprouts. Something that I used to dread tastes so good now. I rub my hands together in anticipation. By the mere mention of Brussel sprouts makes many people’s hair stand on end – it shouldn’t be so! The miniature cabbage that originated from today’s Belgium is full of minerals and fibers such as vitamin A, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), thus one can label it a real powerhouse. With its bitter-sweet flavour it doesn’t just work well as a side dish or a warm soup, but also as a vegetarian main.

These green sprouts can frequently be found on our lunchtime wish list here at the studio, and you have to be quick to get your slice of the cake, er, cabbage.

Check out one of our favourites: the bohemian dumplings.

This combination really does it. The essence of tomato comes from my time at Henssler & Henssler and the Brussel sprout salad originates from my training at the Privathotel Lindtner in Hamburg.

But enough of my past. Focus on the recipe. Enjoy the food and enjoy cooking it.

Directions:

Nutmeg

Separate the leaves from the Brussel sprouts, clean, and boil in salt water for 2-3 minutes until al dente. Douse in cold water and shake to dry. Peel the shallots and finely slice. Season the sprouts with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add shallots and olive oil and heat in a pot.

Essence:

Pass all tomato ingredients through a food mill, then pour into a sieve and mix in the seasoning to taste. Position the sieve so that the juice can drip into a pot below for 24 hours. Then heat the juice in the pot and reduce to half, adding salt and sugar to taste.

Dumplings:

Slice buns into small cubes or rip into small pieces. Combine flour, semolina, salt, nutmeg and sugar in a bowl. Dissolve the yeast into lukewarm milk. Knead eggs, flour mixture and the milk into a dough, add buns and knead again. Knead the dough on a flour-dusted countertop for 5 minutes until smooth. Dust the dough with flour, cover, and allow to rise for an hour. Once again, knead the dough on a floured surface and shape into an elongated dumpling. Wrap the dough in a cheesecloth and let rise for another 20 minutes. Bring water to a boil in a large pot and boil dumplings for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked. Remove the dumplings and slice into pieces. Place the dumplings on a plate, pour the essence of tomato overtop and add the warm sprout salad.

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad with Bohemian Dumplings and Essence of Tomato

For the Salad: