I was just discussing with a friend over lunch (for which I had, all fried: brussels sprouts, potatoes, egg, sweet potato) today how flawless brassicas become when, well, fried. Or roasted but in so much oil it’s kinda like frying, or is that not how other people “roast” their vegetables. But, seriously, right? When I saw Melissa Clark’s recipe in the NYT, it made so much sense to me. Great fried flavor, but without all that pesky chewing. Hooray!
Seared Broccoli Soup
Adapted from Melissa Clark, in the New York Times
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 large head of broccoli (or 2 small heads)
salt and pepper
1 medium onion
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
pinch of lemon zest (optional)
Chop the broccoli into florets and small pieces of stems.
Heat up about a third of the oil in a large pot, and add as much broccoli as you can fit in one layer. Fry on high heat until quite brown on one side. Remove the done broccoli, add a bit more oil, and repeat, until all the broccoli is fried. Generously season the fried broccoli with salt and pepper. And try not to be like me and eat a bunch of it at this point. Or, I don’t know, go for it.
Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add a little more oil to the pot and sautee the onion and garlic until they are aromatic and cooked through. Add the garlic, toss around, and then add just enough water to cover. If you want heat, add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper.
Boil until the broccoli is soft — just 5 to 10 minutes.
Blend using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender. Stir in lemon zest if desired. A little Parmesan cheese would be amazing, too.
