Perfect Broccoli

Growing up and through my 30s I've always eaten what I've been given. Consequently, my pallet has a wide tolerance for strange flavors and I've never really cared about texture (other than chips which must have crunch). Pineapple, however, is very sensitive to texture and flavor. If a vegetable doesn't have the right texture, or is slimy, she absolutely will not eat it.

Thankfully for the first several years of our marriage I rarely cooked. I didn't have the sense or the skills so I regularly ruined vegetables. Frozen veggies steamed in the microwave tended to come out okay, but often mushy.

That all changed about 3 years ago when Pineapple enrolled me in some French cooking classes. One of the most beneficial classes taught me how to cook vegetables--broccoli in particular. Ever since I learned this recipe Pineapple loves it when I cook broccoli. Kids love it too (at least, those who are accustomed to eating vegetables and don't like raw broccoli...my sample size is small...).

Tools

• Pot -- large enough to contain the broccoli
• Large bowl -- large enough to contain the broccoli
• Strainer/slotted spoon
• Timer -- usually the microwave so you can't ignore it

Ingredients

• Broccoli
• Water
• Ice: optional
• Salt: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is easy to apply via pinching

Directions

1. Fill the pot about half way with water
2. Add a pinch of salt (to taste, Pineapple prefers less)
3. Place the pot on a burner set to high
4. Prepare the broccoli while the water is getting to a rolling boil
1. Rinse the broccoli
2. If the broccoli is already cut into manageable pieces, proceed to step 5
3. Otherwise, cut the broccoli heads into smaller chunks
4. Remove the outer layer of the remaining stem, including the bottom (which is usually discolored)
5. Cut the stem into smaller pieces
5. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the broccoli
6. Set a timer for 5 minutes
7. While you are waiting, prepare an ice bath
1. Put some cold water in the large bowl
2. Add some ice to it
8. When the timer finishes, immediately remove the pot from the burner and start spooning the broccoli into the ice bath
9. After a minute or two in the ice bath, you can transfer the broccoli to a serving dish
10. Serve and enjoy!

Ice  Bath

The purpose of the ice bath is to stop the broccoli from cooking. It is the continued presence of heat after the broccoli is sufficiently cooked which causes it to start to get mushy and distasteful. That's why it is important to quickly transfer the broccoli to the ice bath as soon as the timer finishes.

You might consider this same approach for microwave-steamed vegetables; when the vegetables finish cooking in the microwave, drain out the hot water and fill the container with cold water (i.e. straight from the tap).

By the way, after I got comfortable with this the ice bath, I stopped using ice. Now, when the timer goes off, I remove the pot from the heat, put a strainer in it, drain out all the hot water and then pour in the cold water (oftentimes straight from the tap). I get the same thing accomplished in less time. When getting started, an ice bath allows you to take a little longer (but not a lot) because the water is colder so it will stop the cooking more quickly.