stalks

Does broccoli still have a bad rap? I remember it was supposed to be so horrible when I was a child but I never had a problem with it. Broccoli is Con's favourite and soy sauce (i.e. salt) is mine so here a recipe for the both of us. And hopefully you too.

STEAMED BROCCOLI WITH SOY AND GINGER

1 large head of broccoli (with stalk)
2 heaped tbsp sesame seeds
olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced 
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
juice of 1-2 limes (I used 2)
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled

Cut off the dry end of the croccoli stalk and discard. Remove the florets close to the stalk. Peel the stalk, cut it half, and then thinly slice it so it will cook at the same pace as the florets. Steam your green veg.

While the broccoli is cooking, toast and toss your sesame seeds in a small, dry pan until golden and put them aside (on a piece of paper towel). Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, heat it up, and slowly fry your garlic slices until golden and crisp (NOT burnt). If you angle the pan so that the oil pools in one side, the garlic will fry nicely. Remove garlic from oil and place on your paper towel with the sesame seeds. 

You can use your small pan to make your dressing, just let it cool a bit (turn the heat off) and discard a tablespoon of the garlic oil. Add soy sauce and sesame oil to the pan and swill it around. Add the juice of your lime(s). Finely grate the ginger and press it into a sieve to extract the juice (or just add the finely grated ginger). Taste and adjust to suit yourself. 


Serve the broccoli in a bowl drizzled with the dressing (which you will need to keep shaking in the pan so that it does not divide) and sprinkle with garlic chips and sesame seeds. 


Enjoy.  

Recipe adapted from Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook by Jamie Oliver (New York: Hyperion), 2007. Image from Google Images.