From gross, green mush to a money-making delicacy, the humble brussels sprout has made its way back on to Aussie dining tables. And the very generation of children who grew up hating them are now cashing in.
Young farmers Caitlin Radford and Owen Woolley bought their first farm last year in Tasmania's vegetable heartland, about 15 kilometres from Devonport.
Saddled with a hefty mortgage andbills, the pair started looking for "something different" to help pay off the debt.
"I think a lot of people hear 'brussels sprouts' and are probably scarred from their childhoods of getting boiled brussels sprouts on their plates," Caitlin laughs.
"Good mates of ours recommended we grow them … and here we are."
Caitlin and Owen are growing their first ever crop of brussels sprouts this year.
The couple says they are now one of three farms in Australia that grow the country's entire supply of frozen sprouts on a commercial scale.
Sprouts are finicky and expensive to grow. They require a lot of input, such as fertiliser and repellent, as they are susceptible to disease and insects.
But Caitlin saysthe end result makes the process worth it.
"It was a good way to hopefully set ourselves up a little bit… we needed to buy a lot of new equipment and upgrade a lot of things," she admits.
"I love [brussels sprouts] now, we've got a bin in the fridge and we chop a little bit up every night and cook them — and there's so many different ways.
"Can't say I used to eat a lot of them. But when you grow something, you definitely take advantage of it."
How to make restaurant-worthy sprouts
In nearby Devonport, 28-year-old chef Olivia Pizzirani has been making a name for herself with her Italian-fusion dishes.
Much to the scepticism of her traditional Italian Nonna, Olivia nervously added brussels sprouts to her menu about five weeks ago.
"There's this stigma about brussels sprouts, like, every kid hated eating them," she says.
"But we were finding we had to up our order of brussels sprouts every week. Actually, we probably sell equal parts sprouts to potatoes and stuff now.
"Honestly, it's about how you cook them, what components you put with them to sort of elevate them."
Gone are the days of boiling the life out of them — Olivia says the trick is to underdo them.
"I want crunch in my sprouts, I don't want a soggy brussels sprout."
"I blanch mine for like, three, four minutes," the chef says, while tossing the bright green veggies in a frypan.
"If you're looking up an internet recipe, for example, whatever [time] it says on there —halveit.
"Then take them off, tip the boiling water out and just let them cook for a little bit longer. That's your base product."
In keeping with her Italian roots, Olivia usually reaches for a few easy ingredients:
- Salt
- Butter
- Trufflehoney
- Pancetta
Once blanched, she starts by "whacking" a bit of butter and salt in a hot pan, and then quickly tossing the sprouts through it.
"You don't want to add the honey too early, because it's basically going to solidify or burn," she warns.
"I just put a couple of spoonfuls in right at the end, enough for it to melt."
Then comes the sliced, lightly fried pancetta —an Italian essential Olivia wouldn't dream of skipping —under her nonna's watchful eye. It's followed by a dollop of extra honey as a garnish, with parmesan and salt to balance the flavour.
"It all honestly should only take minutes," she says.
"Brussels sprouts are insane with the truffle honey, the pancetta. It's a match made in heaven.
"I was really hesitant to put this on the menu … but it flies out the door."
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