Broccoli is great to have on your dinner plate as it is rich in fibre and vitamins, but many people hate it if they do not cook it properly. It is very popular to simply boil most vegetables since it saves time, but this can make broccoli taste extremely bitter and make it have awful smell.
Boiling broccoli in water can easily overcook it and break down sulfur compounds which is what makes it unappealing and smelly. Instead, Karen Tedesco, a professionally trained chef and founder of Familystyle Food has shared it is much better to sauté broccoli in a frying pan.
Karen said: “Master a simple technique and make this delicious sautéed broccoli with crisp-textured edges and a tender bite. It’s full of flavour, with plenty of olive oil, garlic and Parmesan cheese.”
Sautéing may sound complicated but all you need to do is cook broccoli with a little olive oil and some other flavourful ingredients to make it much tastier.
Cooking broccoli properly makes it crispy and caramelises it slight so you get a tastier vegetable that is more fun to bite into.
Boiling broccoli not makes it taste awful but causes most of the nutrients to dissolve into the water, so you will get a mushy mess that is not actually that good for you.
Taking the time to cook broccoli properly takes less than 15 minutes but helps make it tastier, crispier and much healthier.
How to make tastier broccoli
You will need:
- A frying pan with a lid
- 450g of broccoli florets (one head of broccoli)
- 60ml (four tablespoons) of extra virgin olive oil
- One teaspoon of minced garlic
- Half a teaspoon of red chilli flakes
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- Grated Parmesan cheese (to serve)
- Lemon wedges (to serve)
Instructions
To begin, cut the broccoli into florets so they are evenly sized, then trim off any tough ends.
Place a large frying pan on the stove on a medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot enough to sizzle, add the broccoli, salt and olive oil to the pan.
Make sure the broccoli is in one even layer and not touching each other, as it will sear them better. Cook the broccoli without stirring for five to eight minutes until one side is golden-brown.
Give the broccoli a stir, then lower the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic chilli flakes and add 60ml of water. Place the lid to the frying pan and cook for more five minutes.
The broccoli should now be bright green and fork tender. Place on a serving dish with the lemon wedges and a good sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Your perfectly crisp and tasty broccoli is now ready to serve.
