It’s been a hard row to hoe for the humble Brussels sprout. But the wee cabbage buds once maligned as smelly and bitter (mostly because people overcooked them) have made the sort of comeback of which Miss Britney Spears only dreams. See them among the “shareables” on the paper-bag menu at your favorite farm-to-table bistro, served crispy-fried and studded with bits of bacon plucked from the belly of some locally raised heritage hog. Notice them in the prepackaged-salad aisle at your neighborhood supermarket—shredded, slawlike, so they’re palatable raw.
But keep walking, noble home cook, for you won’t be partaking of that prepackaged salad. Not tonight, sir or madam. Tonight you are making your own Brussels slaw, perked up with whole-grain mustard and apple cider vinegar, garnished with caraway seeds, and altogether perfect for a simple weeknight side dish. So leave the boiled Brussels to the cafeteria crowd and the prepackaged salad to your friends who haven’t heard of ChefSteps yet. Because tonight you’re going fresh and homemade on those Brussels, and once your family has devoured the first plateful, well, we think
you know what they’ll be singing.