Why You Shouldn't Throw Away Your Broccoli Stems
Related: When broccoli rabe stops being polite & starts getting real
I love watching sports on TV. I pick an arbitrary favorite team (blue!), cheer for anyone who scores, and only really watch for the last few minutes of the game when things (hopefully) get more interesting. If I have to sit through the first half, I just fuzzy my eyes and take a sort of cat nap. It’s a nice excuse to have a beer.
What I do get excited about is when an underdog wins—especially if it’s a longtime rival who topples the expected victor. Confetti flies, and people start paying attention to the team that was so recently off the radar. Such upsets happen in daily life, too: your mom beats you at Words with Friends, the most fledgling herb in your windowsill planter turns out to be the heartiest after a bitingly cold start to spring, and an old shirt you never liked gets a compliment and then works itself into the regular rotation.
Related: Broccoli rabe: bitterly delicious
Even your favorite vegetables aren’t safe from unexpected upsets. While snow sifted over the Northern hemisphere and broccoli at the markets was its sweetest, broccoli stems took center stage—let’s call it March madness. I wasn’t expecting the triumph of this quiet vegetable part; I’ve actually avoided broccoli stems for most of my life. For many, they’ve long played second string to florets, which will crisp in a hot oven and soak up any sauce like a sponge. But if you give broccoli stems a chance, they can be every bit as delicious (and arguably more satisfying) than frilly florets.
Related: Eat all your vegetables: how to use stems and roots
The key is to let their natural texture shine: Broccoli stems are crunchy, mild, and sweet, with a good bite that survives high-heat cooking. Baste them in a flavorful sauce, oils, or a vinaigrette and they’ll be the star of any plate.
Preparing broccoli stems to play their best game begins on the chopping block. If you think of broccoli as a tree, which you definitely have, the whole thing is actually a great collection of stems (a trunk and all sorts of branches), save for the tiny leaves. Trim the leaves into one bowl, and then slice the rest of your broccoli into cross-sections of similar thickness; some stem pieces will be coin-shaped and others will look like crazy spilled milk splashes. This is a good thing and will create a variety of textures when you cook them: crispy craggly edges, golden hunks, and soft interiors.
Related: A few heads of broccoli, 5 dinners
Brown your broccoli stems slowly in a garllcky, anchovy-laced oil, flipping them only when they’re golden. They’ll caramelize and soften on the inside like little potato rounds with twice the flavor and a friendly trace of green. The leaves go right on top at the last minute, barely wilting, and the whole dish can be tossed with lemon juice (or your favorite vinegar) for brightness.
A creamy, salty cheese like feta would be a wise addition, or you could pile the broccoli on well-buttered toast—but the underdogs are rich with flavor all on their own.
Besides frying, there are other ways to show the stems some love. You can broil them simply on a baking sheet, tossed in just oil and spices, or have a little more fun. Here are some ideas of ways to use this mighty stalk as a star in the kitchen.
Raw Broccoli Stem Slaw: Mix shredded raw broccoli stems with nuts, dried fruits, crunchy ramen noodles (right from the pack), and a creamy, tart dressing.
Cooked Broccoli Stem Salad: Toss steamed, cooled coins of broccoli stems with any vinaigrette.
Broccoli Stem Gratin: Bake layers of broccoli stem slices with a rich white sauce, topped with crunchy breadcrumbs and floret leaves. (Or swap them in for the spinach.)
Broccoli Stem Braise: For sweet, slippery greens, peel broccoli trunks and braise them in lemon and oil, slow and on low heat.
So quit tossing your stems like a doomed Hail Mary—all you need is a little faith to make them winners. (A quick fry in garlic oil doesn’t hurt.)
Broccoli Stems with Garlic and Anchovies
Serves 2
1 bunch of broccoli
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 anchovies in oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed but still intact
A splash of white wine or beer
Juice from half a lemon juice
Break down the broccoli by first separating the trunk, the branches, and the florets. Lop off the florets by positioning your knife right up next to the leaves so that the stem side ends up with as many branches as possible. Then, cut the trunk away from the branches.
Peel the trunk with a sharp knife or a spoon, discarding the tough exterior, and slice it up into coins. Slice the stems from each part of the broccoli into ¼-inch cross-sections. The shapes of the pieces will be irregular like splashes of spilled milk, but they should be the same thickness as the coins of the trunk. Finally, slice away any stem that’s still attached to the florets; you want the florets to be so small that they barely hold together at all, just clusters of leaves rather than tiny trees. Put the leaves in one bowl and all stem slices in another.
In a very large cast-iron skillet, heat the oil, anchovies (straight out of the jar), and garlic over medium heat until the anchovies break up and the oil becomes fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove the garlic, turn the heat up a little, and add your stem slices in a single layer. They should have a little wiggle room to breathe; if yours are crowded, fry in batches with another batch of flavored oil. Season with a pinch of salt.
Let the stems get dark brown on one side, about 10 minutes, and then flip to sear the other side. When well-caramelized, stems should be honey-colored all over with just a trace of light green.
Turn down heat to medium low, stir, and pile the floret pieces on top of the stems. Add a splash of white wine or beer (whatever you’re drinking while you cook), cover, and let steam for 1 minute, until florets are a vivid bright green. Using a slotted spoon, transfer all broccoli to a large bowl, toss with lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside meats or fish, or pile on a piece of well-buttered toast.
By Amanda Sims
Photos by James Ransom.
