Charred Broccoli, Almonds, Lemon and Chilli - Chef Recipe by Mark LaBrooy and Darren Robertson

Ingredients

"For years the only way I cooked broccoli was by boiling it in salted water, refreshing it in iced water and then reheating it to serve alongside the main course as the order was yelled across the kitchen. A lot has changed. I remember listening to Chef René Redzepi talk about our relationship to meat and veg and how we tend to focus all our attention on cooking the meat and neglect the vegetables. With meat, we trim it, marinate it, season it, cook it with spices, garlic and olive oil, we baste it, turn it, care for it, rest it and then carve it across the grain, and serve it in its own juices or a well-constructed sauce. With veg, we throw it into a pot of boiling water for two minutes, drain, season and eat. Chefs like René are really changing this by treating veggies as the heroes that they are and experimenting with different ways of cooking them to bring out their best. I often find vegetable dishes can be more exciting than the proteins we usually eat for main course. This recipe is no exception." - The Three Blue Ducks.

2 heads of broccoli
2 Tbs rice bran oil
Salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbs slivered almonds
1 Tbs sesame seeds
1 Tbs pumpkin seeds
1 long red chilli, fi nely sliced
1 garlic clove, fi nely sliced
1 handful of mint leaves
1 handful of coriander leaves
Finely grated zest and juice of
1 small lemon
1 Tbs olive oil

Method

Pre-heat the barbeque grill on high, or place a char-grill pan over high heat.

Remove the stems from the broccoli heads. Cut away the base of the stem, peel off the skin and cut the stems into 4-mm slices. Cut each head into eight similar-sized pieces so that they cook evenly. Place the broccoli in a large bowl, drizzle over half the rice bran oil and toss to coat. Season the broccoli with salt and grill for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally. Once cooked, chop the broccoli into florets and add to a large bowl.

Place a dry frying pan over medium heat and toast the almonds and seeds in separate batches until golden.

Gently fry the chilli and garlic in the remaining rice bran oil until the garlic starts turning golden around the edges.

Add to the broccoli along with the herbs, almonds, seeds, lemon zest and juice and olive oil. Season, toss to combine and serve.

Recipe provided by Three Blue Ducks The Farm Byron Bay

Photo Credits: Recipes from The Blue Ducks’ Real Food by Mark LaBrooy and Darren Robertson. Available now, Plum, RRP $39.99.