At one time not so very long ago, the Brassica family lived in the ghetto of the vegetable kingdom, never allowed out in polite company. Presidents could joke with impunity about hating them. But a funny thing has happened: mustard greens have gone trendy. Broccoli is suddenly fashionable as a pasta sauce. Cauliflower is used at fancy restaurants as a complement to caviar (a role in which it excels). Kale is grown as a garden flower. Even so, while many of their brothers and sisters are attaining stardom, two members of the far-flung clan seem to be makeover-proof. Cabbages and brussels sprouts are the black-sheep brassicas.
What an unfair rap for such sweet kids, because when they are carefully cooked, no vegetables are more delicious. Cabbage can be silky and sweet, with just a slight bitter edge from the brassicas’ characteristic mustard oil. Brussels sprouts can be sweet as well, but in addition to the mustard overtones, they have an intriguing earthy flavor. On top of that, they are absolutely gorgeous, with buttery yellow inner leaves contrasting with forest green outer ones.
Unfortunately, they frequently don’t get the care they deserve. And when that happens, these brassicas bite back. Indeed, the very word “cabbage” conjures up the smell of Irish tenement hallways. If anything, brussels sprouts’ reputation may be even worse. Not only do they develop that distinctive smell when overcooked, but their colors fade to a uniform shade of olive drab.
Like all brassicas, cabbages and brussels sprouts are high in chemical compounds that produce hydrogen sulfide when exposed to heat for a sufficient amount of time. (As a general rule, any chemical compound with any variation of the word “sulfur” in it smells bad.) Brussels sprouts produce twice as much of these sulfurous compounds as broccoli, and green cabbage is not far behind. This chemical is produced by a process similar to that which occurs in onions: chemicals that are separate in the raw vegetable combine and form new compounds when the cell walls are damaged. In this case, the compounds form when the leaves are chopped and especially when the cell walls are broken during heating. And unlike the sulfurous compounds in onions, those in brassicas don’t dissipate as cooking progresses, but instead increase, as more cell walls soften and rupture.
Overcooking is the bane of all brassicas, but it’s a particular problem with brussels sprouts. In the first place, most people don’t cook them often enough to gain experience with them. In the second place, because they’re such dense little cabbages, even good cooks sometimes feel the need to overcook them to tenderize them.
To treat brussels sprouts with respect, begin by shopping for the smallest sprouts you can find. These will cook the fastest and have the sweetest flavor. When you’re getting them ready for cooking, be sure to remove any dark or damaged outer leaves and trim away the dark, dried-out base of each sprout. Cut an X through the base ¼ to ½ inch deep, depending on the size of the sprout. This will allow the heat to penetrate to the heart (where the offending chemicals are concentrated) but still hold the sprout together so you don’t wind up with a lot of loose leaves. When you cook the sprouts, never cook them for more than 7 minutes during the initial heating. After that, you can actually smell the change from sweet cabbage to sulfur begin. If you would rather blanch the sprouts in boiling water, make sure there is plenty of it, to dilute any acids given off during cooking.
With cabbages, the solution is even easier. When preparing dishes using raw chopped cabbage, simply soak the vegetable in cold water after cutting it up. This not only revivifies it and makes it crisper, but it also leaches out many of the chemicals that turn sulfurous. These compounds are also reduced when cabbage is fermented into a pickle, as in sauerkraut or kimchi. Boil cabbage briefly to reduce the amount of sulfur, and cook it in plenty of water to dilute any that is created.
The thick, dense leaves have a slightly waxy texture, and these characteristics account for much of the vegetable’s enduring appeal. Because the leaves are so thick, they make good containers and are easy to stuff, whether they have been blanched and softened (in the well-known European fashion) or left raw and crisp (as in the less familiar Asian way of using cabbage leaves as cups or wrappers for chopped mixtures). Because of the leaves’ density, when cooked they are at once sturdy and silky. Add ribbons of cabbage to a soup, for example, and they will not only sweeten the broth but also turn the dish into a sort of vegetable pasta. Combine that resiliency with the slightly waxy texture of the leaves, and you understand why cabbage is the premier ingredient for salads such as coleslaw. Whereas more delicate greens must be dressed at the last minute to avoid wilting, cabbage salads actually improve as they sit.
There are many different kinds of cabbages, but they tend to fall into three general categories: round, red and long-headed. Round cabbages are the most common and include the familiar smooth-leaf white varieties as well as the crinkly-leaf green Savoy types. These normally grow to a size somewhere between a softball and a volleyball, but some varieties can swell to more than 100 pounds. Among the hardy gardening subgenre that competes to grow the most outsize specimens, cabbages have a place of honor, along with pumpkins, watermelons and zucchini. The world record, held by a Welshman, is 124 pounds.
Red cabbages look almost exactly like round cabbages except they are tinged with anthocyanin, a pigment that lends a surface color somewhere between red and purple. This color fades during cooking to a bruised blue. Cooking the cabbage with acidic ingredients such as apples or vinegar can lessen this change.
The most widely known long-headed Asian cabbage is the napa (or nappa; the name derives not from the wine country, but from the Japanese word for cabbage). These cabbages form pale yellow-green heads that are elongated rather than round, much the same as the difference between romaine and iceberg lettuces. Asian cabbages (Brassica rapa) actually come from a different species than European cabbages (Brassica oleracea). They are more closely related to bok choy, broccoli rabe and, most oddly, turnips. Asian cabbages also are more delicate in texture and flavor than European cabbages.
WHERE THEY’RE GROWN: Cabbages and brussels sprouts require long, cool growing conditions. For that reason, they are usually at their best beginning in late fall and running through early spring. Essentially all brussels sprouts grown in the United States come from California, primarily the coastal region between Salinas and Santa Cruz. California is also the leading grower of cabbages, with about 20 percent of the crop. Cabbage is also an important crop in New York, as well as in Texas and Florida, where it is a winter harvest.
HOW TO CHOOSE: Choose brussels sprouts and cabbages in the same way—the difference is scale. The first thing to look for is tightly formed heads. Squeeze the head—there should be little give. Avoid any heads with discolored or damaged leaves or stems that appear dried out. Produce managers frequently “tidy up” cabbages and brussels sprouts by trimming the bases and discarding any faded leaves. Avoid any that look as if they’ve been overworked.
HOW TO STORE: Store cabbages and brussels sprouts in plastic bags in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They’re tough enough to last a long time, but they’re at their best within the first couple of days after purchase.
HOW TO PREPARE: For brussels sprouts, trim the base and discard any fading leaves. Cut an X in the base and either steam or blanch the sprouts just until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. For cabbages, discard any fading leaves, cut into vertical quarters and trim the solid core from the center. (If you want the cabbage wedges to remain whole, skip this step.) Steam or blanch just until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. If you’re going to use the cabbage raw, as in a salad, shred it and soak it in ice water for 5 minutes to crisp it and remove some of the mustardy flavor.
ONE SIMPLE DISH: For brussels sprouts: Steam as above, then cut each sprout lengthwise into quarters. While the sprouts are steaming, chop 2 or 3 slices of bacon and render in a skillet until crisp. Add ½ cup red wine vinegar, raise the heat to high and cook until the vinegar loses its harsh smell. Reduce the heat to low and add the brussels sprouts, cooking and tossing until they are heated through, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with ¼ cup toasted pine nuts.
For cabbages: This works best with Asian cabbages. Shred the cabbage thinly and soak in ice water. Pat dry. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Add the cabbage, season with salt to taste and toss to combine. Toss with torn cilantro leaves.