An Easy Way to Keep Brussels Sprouts From Sticking Together

Cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts are hearty, bitter, and tough. Roasting them in a hot oven is a great way to infuse and soften them without losing their characteristic chewy flavor. Typically, when roasting Brussels sprouts, cut them in half and place cut side down to char in the pan. Somehow the browning of that side became “correct”. While this can be visually appealing, it doesn’t always go according to plan. They can easily turn into stuck sprouts, resulting in torn, flattened, disfigured sprouts. Luckily, there’s an easy way to avoid this: turn the script over onto the brussels and fry it cut side up.

Brussels sprouts are surprisingly stinky and bitter, but that’s not the only reason we love them. They are special because just below the sturdy outer leaves is a delicate tawny tangle of young leaves and young stem. When you cut large heads in half, exposing the tender center, and lay flat side down on a tray, the steam is trapped in a pocket between the metal tray and the tough outer leaves on top. The tender leaves in the center evaporate and become soft, which is nice; however, if these leaves do not completely darken and break away from the metal, they are more likely to stick.

Instead, after you cut the sprouts in half and coat them thoroughly with your regular oil and seasonings, arrange them on the baking sheet in a single layer, round bellies down and flat side up. They will flip a little when you move the pan, and some will lean to one side, but as long as they don’t flip completely, you’re in good shape. Insert the pan into the hot oven and bake. The shape of the round side provides only one small point of contact with the pan, and as the vegetable softens you will still get a lovely charred there and along the top edges. This arrangement allows better ventilation under and around the sprouts, meaning that the steam does not make them soft. Most importantly, the tough outer leaves protect the delicate inner leaves, and with improved air circulation, they have absolutely no interest in sticking to the pan. Let the sprouts cool and enjoy the lightest moment in recent memory as you pluck beautifully charred Brussels sprouts from the roaster.