My father just taught me a technique to avoid overcooking broccoli. When it is finished steaming and is just the right firmness, he said, leave it in the steamer basket and drizzle a little bit of cold tap water over it. The cold water will stop the cooking process so that the broccoli won't get any softer. This is similar to the concept of blanching but without full submersion which would likely make the broccoli too water-logged.
I love broccoli, it's been my favorite food since I was a child and I used to call them "trees." I've never met a broccoli dish I didn't like. My preference is plain, undoctored broccoli - No butter, no salt, no nothin'.
5 comments:
We roast it.
Toss fresh broccoli (cut up, of course) in olive oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 for 15 minutes. Best finger food ever.
We do the same with asparagus, green beans (adding thyme, parmesan, and balsamic), and other veggies. Times vary slightly, as does the temp, but it's pretty easy to figure out. Asparagus gets 375 for 20 minutes, green beans at 450 until you can't resist them any longer.
I love broccoli too! And, I tried to make my nearly vegan potato broccoli soup again and this time, was extremely successful! It was delicious! I ate some, L ate some, and we froze the rest for good times at a future date! Here's how I did it:
Cut broccoli, stalks and all into bite-sized pieces.
Chop or thin slice one red onion, or other medium sized onion-type vegetable, such as a cipollini, shallot, spring onion...whatever's your favorite...
Cut two large potatoes into bite sized pieces (I left the peel on, which is fine, because I blended it)
Use two-three tablespoons of butter, depending on how many vegetables you are using and melt it on medium in a soup pot. Throw in the onions until soft, along with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. I love pepper so do about fifty twists, no lie. For the kosher salt, I used about two tablespoons. Some folks would use less, do ti to taste.
Then throw in the broccoli. Mix it around on medium heat until bright, bright green, and you can smell the stink of broccoli cooking!
Throw in the potatoes, stir for a few more seconds, then fill the pot up with about four cups of water.
Boil softly for twenty minutes, then take it off the heat and let the pot cool down.
Puree and eat! If the soup is thick, thin it with water or heavy cream, whichever you desire! Yum!~
Jocelyn - I've never tried that with broccoli but that's how I make green beans and asparagus, too! I love it. So simple and so tasty. They get all caramelized and yummy. I'll have to try it with broc.
M - That soup sounds tasty. Very tasty. I need to start making more soups
Great tip...thanks to your dad.I hate mushy "trees" too.
As soon as I move into my place, I'm going to start following your recipe suggestions. I realize that's kind of ambitious since I hardly cook, but it's a new goal as of now.
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