Recipe: Charred broccoli with spicy peanut sauce

I’ve learnt in recent years that some of the best ways to cook cruciferous vegetables involve charring them slightly, until they are crispy and slightly browned in some places, and now I wouldn’t prepare them any other way. Brussel’s sprouts, kale, cauliflower and broccoli taste so much better cooked this way, and many restaurants are catching on.

This recipe makes a wonderful side dish, or if you would like to turn it into a meal then please feel free to use this as a topping for a great big goodness bowl with rice and your favourite choice of protein. 

The peanut sauce works best with natural peanut butter (Pics, Mother Earth, Fix & Fogg, etc.). Smooth or crunchy both work fine. 

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 head of broccoli, or 1 bunch of broccolini

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

Olive oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 red chilli, finely chopping

For the sauce

3 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

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If you are using broccoli, cut it into long, thin trees. If you are using broccolini, just make sure to trim the leaves off, but keep the stalks long. Cover the broccoli with boiling water, leave for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of olive oil on a pan and fry the garlic once the oil is hot. Cook the garlic until just crisp, being careful not to burn it. Then remove the garlic from the pan and set aside. If you have a griddle pan, preheat that, however a regular frying pan will also work to cook the broccoli. Toss the broccoli with the soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli, and then fry on the griddle pan, turning it occasionally, until it is nicely charred, then set aside.

Make the peanut sauce by mixing all of the sauce ingredients together, plus a splash of warm water to help it become a creamy consistency.

Assemble by pouring the peanut sauce and the crispy garlic over the broccoli.