Don’t Steam That Broccoli!
Anna Bond
Steamed broccoli is a health-food mainstay: a mild, quick way to prepare a generally accepted vegetable that goes with everything and pleases most. But broccoli has so much more to offer! Steaming vegetables is easy and requires no additional fat or salt, but steaming also dissipates flavor and makes overcooking far too easy.
Broccoli deserves better! Like its fellow brassicas, cauliflower and brussels sprouts, dry heat and caramelization bring out its flavor wonderfully. My favorite way to cook broccoli at the moment is to oven-roast it until the florets are dark brown and crispy; the stalks and stems become very sweet and flavorful.
To roast broccoli: preheat oven to 400˚; cut broccoli head into evenly-sized florets, and peel the stalk and cut into batons; toss with several generous glugs of olive oil and sea salt and spread on a baking sheet; roast until desired brownness is reached, about 20 minutes, tossing and redistributing once or twice during roasting. Don’t be afraid to let it get really done!
Broccoli roasted this way can be served hot as a side dish, but it’s also tasty cold, and it’s terrific in a pasta salad with roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, and whole wheat orzo. Dress simply with a little olive oil, a few squeezes of lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Another richly flavored way to serve broccoli is in a decadent broccoli puree dotted with cream and butter: this recipe from The Spiced Life uses a potato for texture and crème fraiche for luxury.
Raw broccoli on a crudité platter is always a little dry and sad, but I can never resist raw broccoli slaw with its tangy vinegar-mayo dressing and plenty of dried fruit and almonds. This version from Sassy Radish adds a kick to the classic preparation with apple and mint.
Everyone knows that broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse—loaded with vitamin C, vitamin K, beta carotene, folate, and a host of other nutrients and antioxidants—but as long as you keep that steamer in the cupboard, broccoli can be flavor powerhouse as well!
