I’ve long been a believer that broccoli is the OG superfood. It’s on the regular rotation over here.
But I’ll admit, I tend to get a bit lazy with it by tossing it on a sheet pan with a spritz of olive oil and a good sprinkling of pink salt and roasting in the oven till charred. Turns out great every time.
Being summer and all, I decided to move my broccoli roasting to the outdoor grill but I added a crucial step first- I blanched it.
Yes, it’s an extra step, hear me out. Blanching the broccoli ensures a more even cooking in the next step, it doesn’t take as long to char and it keeps the green color more vibrant.
Then finishing it on the grill in a cast iron skillet allows for the addition of the extra goodies – the nuts, seeds and fatty yogurt sauce. It’s pretty darn good and the only way I’m cooking my broccoli for the rest of this summer.
Happy Eating,
~Monique
Irresistible Charred Broccoli
1 head broccoli
2 tbls ghee (or olive oil)
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/4 cup nuts or seeds (pumpkin seeds, pecans, macadamia nuts, etc)
1 cup plain Greek or df yogurt
1 lemon
Pink salt and pepper
Cut the broccoli into florets, keeping the stems intact. Ready a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and let simmer in the water for 2 minutes. Scoop out the broccoli and place into the ice water. Strain and set aside on a kitchen towel to drain.
Set a cast iron skillet on the grill and preheat the grill to medium-high. When the skillet is hot, carefully add the ghee and let that melt for a minute. Add the broccoli to the skillet and ideally arrange in a single layer so all florets touch the skillet. Close the lid and let the broccoli sear for 5 minutes or until charred golden on one side.
Flip all the broccoli florets, add the garlic and nuts/seeds, shaking the pan well to ensure the seeds and garlic settle to the bottom. Let that sear another 3-5 minutes to brown the seeds/nuts.
Remove from heat and dollop the yogurt across the charred broccoli. The yogurt will melt and create a ‘sauce’ with the charred bits on the bottom of the cast iron skillet.
Zest a lemon over the top. Add a few pinches of flakey sea salt and a grind or two of black pepper. Enjoy with crusty bread to sop up the extra little flavor left in the skillet.
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