Why it works: Brussels sprouts and butter work together. They rank in the top 34% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20 recipes. Both carry trans-2-hexenal, which smells green, leafy. The science ↓
Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Trim the Brussels sprouts and soak them in cold salted water.
Steam and finish
Steam the sprouts until the stalk feels tender, about 20-30 minutes.
Add seasoning and a little butter.
Toss the sprouts thoroughly in the mixture and serve immediately.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Brussels sprouts + buttertop 34% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together20 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Brussels sprouts
- Form the main body of the dish, becoming tender and sweet as they cook.
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness, coating the sprouts for a smoother flavour and mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Steam until the stalk feels tender. Sprouts cooked too briefly stay firm and bitter, while overcooking releases sulfur compounds that taste strong and unpleasant. Test the stalk with a knife or fork to judge doneness.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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