The Brussels Top looks just like a Cabbage on a stick - which is exactly what it is, since the Brussels Sprout is a only genetic mutation of the ordinary Cabbage, which we have subsequently improved by selective breeding.
In the photo above you can see the tall bare stem from which all the sprouts have been harvested. I remove the leaves a few at a time because they do tend to go yellow as the sprouts mature.
There comes a point when you can tell that the plant is not going to get any taller, and its last few sprouts are very tiny, so it makes sense to give it the chop. Here's a view from beneath the severed Top, showing the tiny sprouts. They are not a lot bigger than a pea, but I know from experience that they are the sweetest sprouts of all, so they will definitely get used!
But this is the Main Event:
As you would with a normal Cabbage, it's best to remove and discard the tougher outer leaves and keep the sweeter, more tender inner ones for eating. They are the pale-coloured ones. Unsurprisingly, when cooked they have the taste of a Brussels Sprout, with the texture of a Spring Cabbage - delicious! I'm not sure yet what this one will be served with, but I have a feeling that it might be Bangers and Mash.
One down, five to go...
You will have to show us the finished dinner.
ReplyDeleteI love sprout tops but I've never seen one that's been so 'tight' as yours, it looks much more cabbage than some of the others I've seen! They are something for the hardened Brussels fan through!
ReplyDeleteOurs are covered in too many whitefly.
ReplyDeleteThe top is my mums favourite, I'd be interested to try it myself one day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great garden you have and such vibrant pictures! J+C
ReplyDeleteThank you J&C! I am primarily a gardener who takes photos, definitely not a "serious" photographer. My photos are very basic compared with yours. You make food look and sound so appetising! So *Glamorous*!
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