Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Hi everyone,

This week we have one of my most favourite things in the world – Purple Sprouting Broccoli (in all the bags)  so if you’re planning on entertaining at home this week get ready to impress!

Purple Sprouting Broccoli is a rarer variety of the more typical kind and it’s very special. As well as being lovely to look at (makes a lovely centre piece for any dinner table) it’s deliciously tender and like all Broccoliand is a superfood to boot.

You can eat almost all of it including the stalks only discarding the bigger, tougher leaves. Like all special varieties simplicity is often the best way to go. Steam it and serve dressed in Sea Salt and your finest Olive Oil or some melted Butter or, if you want to go all out, a Hollandaise sauce.

Last night I tried it two ways – one very simple – steamed then pan-fried with bread crumbs and another more complicated with Cous Cous, Goat’s Cheese and a sundried Tomato Pesto. Both were delicious. There’s about 300gr in your bag and each recipe needs about 150gr so you can try them both. Be sure and cook it very soon though as it’s at its best now……….

Pan-fried Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Bread Crumbs - perfect for picking at while you drink a glass of wine and contemplate your next course…

You’ll need:

150gr Purple Sprouting Brccoli

Olive Oil

Butter

2 Tablespoons Breadcrumbs

Wash the Broccoli and break it up into pieces you can eat without having to attack it later with a knife and fork. Steam for about 3 minutes until tender but not soft and mushy -you want some bite in it. Heat about 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and a knob of Butter in a pan then throw in 2 scant tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Allow the breadcrumbs to turn a pale golden brown but be careful they don’t come anywhere near burning then throw in the Broccoli. Toss for about 2 minutes then serve immediately with a little Sea Salt.

Pan-fried Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Cous Cous*, Goat’s Cheese and Sundried Tomato Pesto.

You’ll need:

The Pesto (This quantity will give you more than you need but it’s really impossible to make less unless you have a tiny blender and you’ll be glad you have the extra as it’s great in pasta and sambos)

8 sundried Tomatoes preserved in Oil,

2 Tablespoons Pinenuts,

1 crushed clove of Garlic,

a pinch of Sea Salt,

4 Tablespoons of Water and blast in your blender until smooth.

2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

The Rest

150gr Purple Sprouting Broccoli

1 cup Cous Cous

1 small Onion

Olive Oil

2 Rounds of Goats Cheese

Start by making the pesto – place all the ingredients except the Parmesan in a blend and and blast until smooth. Stir in the Parmesan then taste and correct the seasoning if necessary then set aside.

Prepare the Purple Sprouting Broccoli for cooking as described above leaving the stalks a little bigger than before and set aside.

To prepare the Cous Cous toast 1 cup over a medium heat on a dry frying pan until the grains turn golden. Then, add 1 cup of hot water, stirring well to ensure all the grains cook for about a minute. Then, turn off the heat and continue stirring until all the water has evaporated and the Cous Cous is cooked through. To this add half an Onion finely chopped and keep stirring to allow the Onion to warm through. Season with Salt, Pepper and a dash of your nicest Olive Oil then cover and set aside.

To put the dish together divide the Cous Cous between 2 small oven-proof dishes then top with the pesto (about 2-3 Tablespoons per dish should be loads. Top with a round of Goat’s Cheese about 1mm thick. Steam the Broccoli as described above and when it is done place the Cous Cous and Goat’s Cheese under the grill and toast until golden. While the Cheese is toasting heat a dash of Olive Oil on the pan and toss the Broccoli over a medium heat for a minute or two. Just before you take it off turn up the heat slightly and add a dash of Balsamic vinegar. Toss quickly then remove from the heat. Season with the tiniest pinch of Salt before serving on top of the Cous Cous alongside the Goat’s Cheese. Garnish with a few toasted Pinenuts if you’re feeling that way inclined but don’t worry if you’re not.

* Originally I wanted to make this dish with a base of Polenta slice but I didn’t have any. If you do it works very well too.

Have a great and hopefully sunny week,

Sarah

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