Glad to see you comment about the broccoli stems. For years I've peeled them, then cut them up. You know you've cut enough of the inedible fibre skin if it slices easily. I think of them as "broccoli hearts" in the same vein as artichoke hearts. I often add broccoli to pasta dishes, and a trick I've found to get them to cook perfectly is…
Glad to see you comment about the broccoli stems. For years I've peeled them, then cut them up. You know you've cut enough of the inedible fibre skin if it slices easily. I think of them as "broccoli hearts" in the same vein as artichoke hearts. I often add broccoli to pasta dishes, and a trick I've found to get them to cook perfectly is to add them to the boiling water for the pasta after you've added the pasta, they (mostly) float when they're done, and I take them out using a wide slotted spoon. Often I then add them to whatever I'm going to add to the pasta, so take them out when they're tenderised and let them finish cooking in whatever you're using. They should be bright green still, yet tender, and not hard. My French husband remarked a number of times that they were perfectly cooked.
My first restaurant cooking job was in a vegetarian restaurant and the head cook told me to "respect the vegetable" when peeling broccoli, and how to carefully do it since the stem is full of flavor and useful, but is best peeled. I never really thought about peeling and using the stems - but I still remember him telling me that almost 40 yrs later.
I just cannot remember where or when I first learned that about the stems. I agree with the idea of "respect the vegetable" very much, and like to think I'm doing that. One thing I've noticed is that these "broccoli hearts" are often the best-tasting part of the broccoli. And I LOVE broccoli, always have. When we were kids we called them green trees, because they looked like miniature trees.
Glad to see you comment about the broccoli stems. For years I've peeled them, then cut them up. You know you've cut enough of the inedible fibre skin if it slices easily. I think of them as "broccoli hearts" in the same vein as artichoke hearts. I often add broccoli to pasta dishes, and a trick I've found to get them to cook perfectly is to add them to the boiling water for the pasta after you've added the pasta, they (mostly) float when they're done, and I take them out using a wide slotted spoon. Often I then add them to whatever I'm going to add to the pasta, so take them out when they're tenderised and let them finish cooking in whatever you're using. They should be bright green still, yet tender, and not hard. My French husband remarked a number of times that they were perfectly cooked.
My first restaurant cooking job was in a vegetarian restaurant and the head cook told me to "respect the vegetable" when peeling broccoli, and how to carefully do it since the stem is full of flavor and useful, but is best peeled. I never really thought about peeling and using the stems - but I still remember him telling me that almost 40 yrs later.
I just cannot remember where or when I first learned that about the stems. I agree with the idea of "respect the vegetable" very much, and like to think I'm doing that. One thing I've noticed is that these "broccoli hearts" are often the best-tasting part of the broccoli. And I LOVE broccoli, always have. When we were kids we called them green trees, because they looked like miniature trees.