Purple Sprouting Broccoli Caesar
Caesar dressing is ubiquitous for a reason: it’s the perfect balance of fat, umami, and acid. Its versatility makes it great on a whole assortment of vegetables beyond the traditional romaine lettuce. Here we use charred purple sprouting broccoli, but try it on radicchio or celery salads as well!
Serves 4 as a side
INGREDIENTS
For the broccoli
2 bunches (about 1 pound) purple sprouting broccoli (sub broccolini or broccoli)
For the caesar dressing
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 garlic clove
1 (2-ounce) tin anchovies, drained
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk (see note)
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce (about ½ cup) parmesan cheese, grated
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
To serve
Grated parmesan
METHOD
Make the dressing. Blend all of the ingredients aside from the olive oil and parmesan until smooth. We prefer an immersion blender and mason jar for this but a large mortar and pestle also works well and leads to a more textured sauce. Slowly stream in the olive oil. Lastly blend in the parmesan and plenty of black pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust. The anchovies should provide most of the salt you need. Add a splash of vinegar or lemon for acidity, Worcestershire for salt, or olive oil to mellow things out.
Prepare the broccoli. Wash the broccoli and spin dry. Cut off any dry or fibrous bottoms. Split any of the larger stalks so that all of the stalks are roughly the same size.
Cook the broccoli. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the pan followed by the broccoli. Season lightly with salt. Cook undisturbed for five minutes, until the broccoli is beginning to char. Use tongs to flip the broccoli and cook for another few minutes until the stalks have softened but are not mushy.
Toss the salad. Add the broccoli to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the dressing. Taste and add more dressing to your liking.
Plate. Arrange the broccoli on a plate. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and plenty of grated parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.
Note: If you are unable to eat raw egg yolks, substitute 1 tablespoon store-bought mayo (which will be made with pasteurized eggs).
Note: You may not need all of the dressing. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
FURTHER READING
