Bon Appétit (January 2015)
Broccoli.
Peanuts.
Broccoli + Peanuts?
Peanuts.
Broccoli.
We were simultaneously stumped and excited by this recipe for Roasted and Charred Broccoli with Peanuts when we got the January Bon Appétit.
We love broccoli (and probably each eat about 3 heads a week during the winter), and we adore peanuts in all forms (except maybe boiled, but we still wouldn't really turn those down). But the two of them combined?
Sure, why not. We'll try anything once.
Plus, this recipe gave us an excuse to use a pantry ingredient that's getting a lot of play in our house these days: nutritional yeast.
Before we get into the particulars of this dish, here's one more entry for the "why we love food magazines" file: Food magazines, as they arrive in your mailbox each month (or magically appear on your iPad, for you crazy kids), challenge you with new ideas and encourage new flavor combinations that you otherwise would never consider. Plus, in the case of this dish, they may introduce you to a new ingredient.
This recipe relies heavily on nutritional yeast. What is nutritional yeast, you ask? It is, according to the label, inactive dry yeast to be used to season dishes. It's popular in vegetarian and vegan cooking. The Bragg's version that we use says it has a "cheese-like" flavor. We can sort of buy that -- it's definitely got a nice salty/umami/slightly funky flavor.
It's sugar-free, salt-free and gluten-free. We had never really considered nutritional yeast until we made a Tofu Scramble in 2013 and a number of you said it's a must for your own takes on tofu. We didn't buy any until this past year, when we started using it in a salad dressing we've been making (that we really need to share with you).
So this dish: You roast the broccoli stems, then toss them with rice vinegar; the florets are then sauteed, and at the end you add peanuts and sugar, allowing the peanuts to brown. Both components are then tossed together with nutritional yeast, scallions and salt.
And it totally works. It's flavorful and delicious. The peanuts provide a needed bit of crunch to the cooked broccoli and the vinegar and nutritional yeast give you a jolt of flavor.
We can't claim this is going to be a "new classic," or that you're suddenly going to start seeing broccoli-and-peanut everything (Gelato? Soup? Bahn mi?). But if you're looking for a tasty and different side dish, start here.
And if you don't already have one, get yourself a food magazine subscription. You deserve the monthly inspiraiton.
Roasted and Charred Broccoli with Peanuts
Bon Appétit (January 2015)
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(This photo: Bon Appétit)
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 bunch broccoli (about 1½ lb.), ends trimmed, stems peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
¼ cup unsalted, roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, plus more
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°. Slice broccoli stems on a diagonal ¼” thick. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, toss with oil, and season with kosher salt and pepper. Gather up loose pieces of left-behind florets and finely chop. Roast stems until browned around edges, 15–20 minutes. Add vinegar; toss to coat.
Meanwhile, heat a dry medium skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Add florets. Season with kosher salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until bright green and lightly charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add peanuts and sugar. Cook, stirring, until nuts are golden brown. Stir in 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast; season again.
Serve broccoli stems and florets topped with scallions, sea salt, and more yeast.
