The Best Broccoli OTP

I’m going to go ahead and say, You’re Welcome. This recipe, adapted from Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi, does a couple of things.

First, pay attention to what happens with the garlic, because you will use this technique over and over in other recipes as well. It’s brilliant.

Just a note, too, for the cumin seeds, they’re better if crushed a bit. I run a rolling pin over them a few times, bc it really opens up their flavor — you’re going to notice this.

If you WANT, you can add other things here like pine nuts or currents, but just start with the base recipe and then definitely “play with your food” from there.

Here’s what you’re tasting for: the balance between the tartness of the lemon, warmth of the pepper flakes, and the bright green freshness of the mint.

You’ll Need

1 head Broccoli, cut into 1 1/2” florets, about 3 cups

3 TB Olive Oil

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

2 tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes, depending on spice tolerance

Salt

1/2 cup Mint Leaves, roughly shredded

1 TB Lime Juice

First blanch the broccoli

Place a large sauce pan filled with plenty of salted water over high heat.  Once boiling, add the broccoli and blanch for 90 seconds.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the broccoli, then refresh under plenty of cold water and dry well.

Next you’ll saute things, one at a time

Put the oil into a large sauce pan and place over high heat.  Add the garlic and gently fry for about 2 minutes, stirring a few times, until the garlic is a right golden brown.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic and set aside.

Add the cumin to the oil for just a minute, then add broccoli, 1 tsp chili flakes and 1/4 tsp of salt.

Finally put it all together

Stir everything through for a minute, then transfer to a large plate or dish.

Gently mix in the mint and drizzle over with the lime juice.  Serve with the remaining chili flakes and the crisp garlic sprinkled on top.

Here’s where the magic happens

Give it a taste, and think about the lime, mint, garlic, salt, and chili. Is one of them dominant? Is one of them missing altogether? Then correct for those flavors, and it’s ready to serve!

Looking forward to your thoughts on this recipe!!

Will