SHAVING BRUSSELS SPROUTS may sound fussy, but it is ideal for a weeknight meal: The shaving, which is easy to do in a food processor, transforms this dense vegetable into small pieces that cook quickly. And because the shavings are irregularly shaped, they brown unevenly, creating a multitude of interesting flavors and textures that you don’t get when cooking whole or halved sprouts
Through our testing, we found thatpreferable to roasting them in the oven, where it was difficult to control the cooking. Since we wanted to cook 2 pounds of brussels sprouts (to feed four to six people), we sautéed them in two batches so that the skillet wasn’t overcrowded. This technique achieves good browning, and because each batch cooks in just 6 minutes, it’s still fast. Resist the urge to stir the sprouts after spreading them in the pan so that the pieces on the bottom caramelize while the pieces on top steam to tenderness. The result is a charred and nutty bottom layer and a bright-green, crisp, fresh-tasting top layer.
