boiling vs. steaming vegetables?

I was preparing to make Gordon Ramsay's Brussels sprout recipe where he starts by boiling the sprouts after cutting them in half. My inclination would be to steam the sprouts to reduce the loss of nutrients and flavor that could dissolve in the boiling water bath. However Mr Ramsay has probably forgotten more about cooking than I will ever learn so it leaves me asking whether the boiling thing is important vs. steaming or if it is just his habit or the way he was taught.

I'll also remark that Alton Brown boils potatoes when making mashed potatoes whereas I steam mine. (I'm happy with my results and would not look forward to a side by side comparison with AB.) He is also someone more likely to apply science rather than do things just because that's they way they've been done.

I searched and found a fairly recent discussion on boiling asparagus vs. steaming it and the consensus seemed to be that boiling was superior. I can;t speak to that since I started grilling asparagus on a gas or propane grill.

What's your thought and experience? Has anyone done any real testing or are we just doing as we're told?

A side question is if I can substitute pinion nuts for chestnuts in the Brussels sprout recipe. I plan to give it a try.

thanks,
hank

I'm no pro, but we steam almost all of the fresh vegetables we cook. We still boil potatoes, mostly because it's the only good way to get salt into them.

One of my specialties is chicken/beef pot pie. I steam all the vegetables together, then use the 3/4 cup or so of liquid under the steam basket to make the gravy for the pie. That way, you get every dribble of taste out of the veggies.

Try it, you can thank me later......

Tim

I think that it really depends on the vegetable.

Personally, I prefer to boil Brussels sprouts as it allows me to add spices, orange juice and butter for flavoring. Ditto on carrots.

Steaming just doesn't impart much flavor.

I boil potatoes if I am going to mash them. I prefer roasted brussel sprouts which I made tonight. I love roasting vegetables. I have also made asparagus with a bit of water in a frying pan and kind of steaming them. I have also made them in the microwave. I prefer roasting or grilling them. I prefer to steam most vegetables rather than boiling them mostly.

I always boil (or roast) potatoes in or any heavy, starchy items (turnips, rutabagas, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes, etc.) in generously salted water. For vegetables that I like to occasionally steam (like asparagus), I find the microwave to be the best method. I don't particularly like my brussel sprouts boiled or steamed--those get roasted or possibly pan fried. Prepared that way, brussel sprouts may just be my favorite vegetable. I'm also one of those people who likes their green beans braised for hours, in most cases, rather than steamed. If I want the chlorophyll taste, then I go for them pan fried or roasted. I'm not a big fan of most vegetables boiled or steamed. It's roasting, grilling, or pan frying for me.