Allow me to present to you the humble broccoli, beloved steamed side dish with lemon and butter, faithful team-player to quick stir-fries, virtuous add-in to any number of cheesy pasta dishes. Broccoli is the vegetable we reach for when we need a little something extra to round out a meal. Here's how to trim it down to bite-sized pieces, along with five ways to cook it up.
When buying broccoli, choose vegetables that have a uniform green color with no major brown or yellowing spots. The broccoli stem should feel firm and the crown should be tight and springy; soft stems or limp florets are a sign of old broccoli. Store broccoli in the crisper drawer in the fridge until you're ready to use it. Broccoli should keep fairly well for at least a week.
Broccoli can be eaten raw, but blanching it quickly in boiling water helps give it a more crisp-tender texture and bring out its flavor. Broccoli can also be steamed, sautéed, and roasted. You could even throw long spears on the grill!
How do you like to prepare broccoli?
What You Need
Ingredients
1 or more heads broccoli
Equipment
A paring knife
Equipment for cooking
Instructions
1. Trim Off the Florets - Slice straight through the broccoli stem as close to the crown as you can get. The crown should break into several large florets. Cut through the "trunk" of each floret to make bite-sized pieces. Place these in a small bowl and run them under water to wash away any grit.
2. Trim and Slice the Stem - The main stem of the broccoli is entirely edible. Trim off any leaves or blemishes. You can remove the tougher top layer of skin with a peeler if you would like, but it's not necessary. Slice off the bottom inch of the stem and discard (it's usually too dry to be very tasty). Slice the remaining stem into disks. Stems take longer than florets to cook, so place all these slices in a separate bowl from the florets. Tinse under water to wash away any grit.
Cooking Method #1: Blanching - Prepare a bowl of ice water and have it next to the stove. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a heaping tablespoon of salt. Add the broccoli florets and cook until crisp-tender, 1 - 1 1/2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge immediately in the ice water. Let the water come back to a boil, then cook the stems until they are also crisp-tender, 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. If you would like softer vegetables, cook for an additional 30 seconds.
• Uses for Blanched Broccoli: Vegetable platters, cold salads, frittatas and other casseroles.
Cooking Method #2: Steaming in the Microwave - Place the broccoli florets and stems in a microwave-safe dish and pour 2-3 tablespoons of water over top. Cover with a dinner plate and microwave on HIGH for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid carefully and check if the broccoli is tender. Microwave in additional 1-minute bursts if necessary.
• Uses for Steamed Broccoli: Side dish with olive oil and seasonings, warm salads, frittatas and casseroles, soups.
Cooking Method #3: Steaming on the Stove Top - Fill a pot with a few inches of water and insert a steamer basket over top. Be sure the water does not touch the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli florets and stems and cover. Steam for 4-5 minutes, until tender.
• Uses for Steamed Broccoli: Side dish with olive oil and seasonings, warm salads, frittatas and casseroles, soups.
Cooking Method #4 - Sautéing - Make sure the broccoli is as dry as possible (you can skip rinsing under water if your broccoli seems clean). Film a skillet with oil and set over medium-high heat. Add the florets and a big pinch of salt. Toss to coat with oil. Add the stems 1 minute later. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is bright green and tender.
• Uses for Sautéed Broccoli: vegetable sautés, side dish with seasonings
Cooking Method #5 - Roasting Heat the oven to 425°F. Make sure the broccoli is as dry as possible (you can skip rinsing under water if your broccoli seems clean). Toss the broccoli florets and stems with a few teaspoons of oil and a half teaspoon of salt. Spread the broccoli on a foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the broccoli is crunchy and you can see deep caramelized brown spots. Serve immediately.
• Uses for Roasted Broccoli - Side dish, cold or warm salads, pizza topping (under-roast slightly so the broccoli doesn't burn on the pizza)
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(Images: Emma Christensen)
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Emma, I'm loving these How To articles! Keep 'em coming!
Broccoli is my fave! I love it steamed on the stovetop-- healthy and so easy!
And the best way to cook it - in a pot of cheesy soup :D
I love broccoli roasted with olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan cheese. SO good!
This recipe is our favourite (we use it for cauliflower, too):
Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli
Ina Garten (2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-roasted-broccoli-recipe/index.html
Since I discovered roasted broccoli I haven't eaten it any other way. Yum. I like to roast it, then toss it with pasta and (per the above commenter) olive oil, lemon juice, and parmesan.
First, a note: I recently tried steaming broccoli in the microwave for the first time (just as directed above), and after 2 minutes my broccoli was not only done, but a little overdone. Just a warning for people with similar microwaves.
Second, a question: Does anyone else get those little bugs in their broccoli that look just like broccoli "leaves" and are almost impossible to spot until you start cutting it up and impossible (to me) to remove? Any advice? I find they float off when I blanch the broccoli, but then I'm too grossed out to eat it.
I don't really like brocolli, but my boyfriend does, so I try to find ways to enjoy it in recipes. Might try @BEATRIX recipe. I'm always good for parmesan :)
I personally don't like broccoli or cauliflower cooked. I only like it raw... To me it tastes bitter when it's cooked.. Or Maybe I am just weird
i dont use a peeler to take that skin stuff off the stem. i just take a knife, cut the top a little and peel down. it comes right off!
i love broccoli and cauliflower - any which way.
i would like to suggest using some sort of veggie wash for broccoli - other fruits and veggies too but broccoli has revealed the biggest difference after the wash. soaking in the wash for a couple minutes will remove all of the greyish powdery surface on top of the broccoli. It looks completely different - revealing the true green color.
These basic cooking methods are right on. However, the problem in many American kitchens is that these basic methods are exactly the beginning and the end of the adventure. Because we view vegetables as the side, we expect them to fade into the background rather than be a feature, and we flavor them blandly and wonder why they aren't appealing. A fave for me--start with the caramelized roasting technique. Stir into a pan of sweated onions, add a healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper and a hit of tarragon, a minced preserved anchovy. Salt to taste--sometimes a slight hit of lemon or lime juice brings the whole into balance.
Another fave: barely blanch and then kool Finish a salad with grapefruit, small bit of minced shallots, a diced avocado, a vinaigrette based on the grapefruit juice encountered in the section prep, and finish with a small amount of finely grated asiago cheese.
And a third fave: again, barely blanch and kool. Make a dressing of 2 tbs hot chinese mustard, 1 tbs mirin, 2 tbs soy sauce. Leave in refrigerator for up to a week. Sprinkle with lightly roasted sesame seeds right before serving.
Steaming broccoli in the microwave is the easiest and very tasty! I drizzle mine with olive oil before it goes in the micro, probably about a 1/2 teaspoon. Grilled broccoli is my favorite, just not something I could do or eat every day. I hated broccoli before I tried it these ways, now it's my favorite vegetable and my kids' too!
I don't really like brocolli, but my boyfriend does, so I try to find ways to enjoy it in recipes. Might try @BEATRIX recipe. I'm always good for parmesan :)
@Beatrix - That Ina Garten recipe is responsible for making me like broccoli after a lifetime of hating it. I had only had it steamed and very, very plain before that. It turns out all I needed to like broccoli was a little roasting and a sprinkle of parmesan.
Preferred method is roasted or steamed in the microwave. Either way the broccoli gets a good dose of olive oil and salt and pepper to either start or finish, depending on the method used.
I can't believe you didn't re-feature your post about the Melissa Clark recipe, Sexy Broccoli! great for those who like it crisp - very similar to an acid "cooked" kale salad.
A quick saute is preferable in terms of retaining nutrients.
I love steaming broccoli, and then mixing it in with sauteed garlic and shallots and lemon zest and juice, and serving it over brown rice. it's at least a once a week meal in my house :)
I so far only like broccoli raw, but then it gives me gas. Steamed is too mushy for me. But I've been wanting to try it roasted because my husband loves broccoli, and I'd like to eat it more often! Thanks for the instructions - I have a bunch of broccoli that I will try this out on.
I love all the people who like the Ina recipe! Yay! My partner swears it's his favourite, and the only, way to eat broccoli and cauliflower. Fine with me!
In our house we have a recipe called "magic broccoli." Super quick, very few ingredients, and the boys fight over the last piece.
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/03/20/magic-broccoli/
A friend recently introduced me to a broccoli gribiche (or, as I call it, roasted broccoli and potato salad) that is just incredibly good. You roast potatoes and broccoli until both are nice and caramelized and then toss it with a mustardy dressing and a couple of hardboiled eggs. I was dubious when my friend made it but was won over. Everything fits together so well. And the recipe is basically a one bowl, one pan recipe. It's on my at-least-once-a-week meal rotation. So, so good.
The recipe comes from Heidi Swanson's book Supernatural Everyday but you can find a version of the recipe here: http://coxfitzchronicles.com/?p=4287
I usually do #4 but I add a little bit of butter. So delicious.
TRy using stock in place of the water whenever you cook broccoli/stalks.Huge favourite in our house:)
The BEST way to cook broccoli comes from a cookbook of Chinese cooking my mom has. The recipe is labeled "Broccoli Chinese Style (Chao Jie Cai Hua)." It turns out beautifully crisp-tender and bright green every time.
(1) Take about 3 stalks of fresh broccoli. Peel the stems and cut into 2-inch florets. (2) Heat 1-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a deep sauce pan or skillet. (3) Chop 2 green onions into 1-inch pieces; brown them in the oil. [note: onions are optional.] (4) Add the broccoli to the pan along with 1 tsp. salt. Stir quickly for one minute. (5) Cover the pan and cook for one minute. (5) Add 1/3 cup water to the pan; cover pan and bring to a boil. (6) Remove lid; stir and cook for one minute. (7) Serve hot.
You won't regret trying this. It's delicious!