Broccoli pairs with so many different meals making it a great nutrient-boosting option when adding vegetables to your plate.
Not only is it extremely affordable but also versatile as it can be cooked in so many different ways.
While it’s long been a staple on the weekly shopping list for many people, only now are Britons realising the proper way to cook it.
Taking to TiKTok to share the clever tip, content creators myrealfood_uk (@myrealfood) revealed why it should never be cut first.
In the caption of the video, they wrote: “Did you know about this life hack for cooking broccoli? And don’t let the trunk go to waste.”
While demonstrating the hack, the TikTok content creators said: “All you need to do is submerge the head of the broccoli into boiling water, and then you can cut it off like this – super easy and super quick.”
Of course, for this method to be effective, a saucepan large enough to submerge the broccoli is essential, but it has so many benefits when done right.
One of which is that it means there’s no risk of ending up with crumbly broccoli heads which can often occur when attempting to slice uncooked florets.
This method also removes the need to saw at the broccoli stem, which can be very tough when raw, and makes it so much easier to carve into any shape.
Whether it’s rounds of broccoli or straw-like strips, the tender consistency of the cooked vegetable is much easier to work with.
Doing so means that the possibilities are then endless on how the stem is served, rather than letting it go to waste.
In the TikTok video, the myrealfood_uk team explained: “You can also use this trunk to make something really delicious on the side of your meal.”
They suggested cutting the stems into sticks and frying them in a non-stick pan with a dash of soy sauce until coated through.
Alternatively, bake or roast the stems to concentrate their sweet and earthy flavour. This is easy to do by placing them on a baking tray in a preheated oven at around 180C, scattered with salt and pepper, plus any other flavourings.
