Lately, I’ve been buying bundles of sprouting broccoli at my local farmers’ market. The tender stems are topped with clouds of green or dark purple broccoli. I love being able to browse the farmers’ markets again and see what’s in season by the crates and baskets full of produce that are laid out. It’s my favourite way to food shop and always so inspiring.
With an abundance of broccoli, I’ve been cooking it in so many different ways from adding some roughly chopped to a tray of roast vegetables or making soups and serving with cheddar cheese scones. It’s also great blitzed up in croquettes or added to a cauliflower cheese bake. I love blanching it in boiling water for a few seconds to make it a more vivid green and taking that crunchy raw edge off while still maintaining some bite. It’s so good drizzled with a chilli peanut rayu or similar and a scattering of coriander leaves. So simple, but something you’d never tire of. A dusting of finely grated Parmesan or crunchy dukkah is good too.
My children love soy sauce with broccoli and this is something I make for them regularly. It’s so simple to do that it hardly feels like a recipe. Honey is a really lovely addition here. It softens and sweetens without being dominant. I’ve chosen egg noodles as they are a great base for this, but thick udon noodles or buckwheat noodles can be used. Alternatively, serve this on a bed of rice.
Three cloves of garlic may sound like too much, if you’re not a garlic fan, but don’t feel any dread. It is very thinly sliced and fried in the oil before being bathed in sticky honey and salty soy sauce, so it takes on a different form. If anything, add a few more cloves, it really is a great combination.
I sometimes add extra vegetables to this if I have time, such as strips of carrot or red onion, pak choi and baby spinach leaves. It’s also a great recipe for using leftover chicken or pork. Set aside some chicken next time you’re roasting one and have this the next day. It’s a stir-fry really, with a very easy sauce.
If you have a wok to hand it’s ideal for making this. This is a fast and delicious bowl of food ideal for midweek.
Recipe: Sticky chicken with broccoli and noodles
