I have a series of fruity desserts to share in the coming days, so I thought I’d better throw in something on the savory side. I had picked up a bunch of broccoli the other day, and I wanted to do something different to it to go with some grilled pork chops and potatoes. Very recently, Zander has become a bit more adventurous when it comes to trying vegetables- it seems that plain old cooked veggies don’t appeal to him, but if I prepare them with some pizzazz, he’ll gobble them up. (Of course, by plain old veggie I usually mean cooked and then tossed with butter, sea salt and fresh black pepper, so not totally plain, but I think you get my meaning.)
This recipe does have two cooking steps to it- first we par-cook the broccoli in some boiling water, and then we roast it to perfection in a grill pan on the grill. You probably could skip the boiling step, but I think it helped contribute to the tenderness of the broccoli. We did enjoy this broccoli dish very much. Zander only tolerated it- he thought the first bite was tasty, but in the end he wasn’t too eager to finish the small pile we’d put on his plate. But overall, it was a success, and I think it’s a great accompaniment to a grilled main dish- especially since the grill is already going. You do need a special piece of equipment to make this- some kind of grill basket/pan that will hold the broccoli over the fire/charcoal.
Lemony Grilled Broccoli
1 pound (or so) of fresh broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets zest of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt fresh black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheeseBring a pot of water to boil on the stove. Add the broccoli and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the broccoli is bright green and has lost it’s raw look. Quickly empty the pot into a colander in the sink and run cold water over the broccoli to stop the cooking. Once the broccoli is cooled, put it in a mixing bowl.
Add the lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper and toss the broccoli. (Crushed red pepper flakes would also be a great addition here!) Dump the broccoli into your grill basket.
Cook over medium flame for 5-10 minutes, tossing every 2 minutes or so. You’re looking for some browning/caramelization, but you’re not looking to totally char the broccoli.
Toss the broccoli with the Parmesan cheese just before serving.
I make something very similar but just wrap it in foil(heavy duty preferably). So if someone wants to try it and doesn’t have a grill pan, go for the foil! (cauliflower is also good done this way) Also I don’t par cook it. But I’m sure it takes longer to cook on the grill by not doing so. And finally, my oldest daughter(15)loves steamed broccoli with freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and butter on it. So even when I don’t grill it, she eats it with lemon.
I thought about using foil! Good to know that works well- thanks for sharing.
I love roasted cauliflower even better than broccoli, so I’ll have to try that on the grill next!