I had broccoli off a salad bar at a restaurant the other day and the
broccoli was wonderful! Seasoned slightly, yet still pretty much raw. I
wondered if they blanched it or something first? It was still bright
green, dry and crunchy, yet not totally "raw". Is this common and I've
somehow missed it? Makes for a great nosh and I want to try it. How do
you think they might have done it?
Goomba

On Thu 19 Jan 2006 06:23:08a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Goomba38?

> I had broccoli off a salad bar at a restaurant the other day and the
> broccoli was wonderful! Seasoned slightly, yet still pretty much raw. I
> wondered if they blanched it or something first? It was still bright
> green, dry and crunchy, yet not totally "raw". Is this common and I've
> somehow missed it? Makes for a great nosh and I want to try it. How do
> you think they might have done it?
> Goomba
>

Quickly blanch it by plunging the broccoli into water at a rolling boil for
1-2 minutes tops, then plunge iimmediately iinto cold or ice water. Works
well for cauliflower, too.

--
Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬
________________________________________

Okay, okay, I take it back! UnScrew you!

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> Quickly blanch it by plunging the broccoli into water at a rolling boil for
> 1-2 minutes tops, then plunge immediately into cold or ice water. Works
> well for cauliflower, too.


Here's the way I do it that's even easier for me: Bring the water to a
rolling boil. Put the broccoli in, cover and turn off the heat. (I
have electric so I move the pot to a cold burner.) Then time exactly 5
minutes if I want to consider the broccoli cooked and exactly 2 minutes
if I want to consider the broccoli blanched but essentially raw. When
the timer goes off, I drain and put ice water on top as Wayne says. I
don't normally use salt when cooking, but I'd guess the restaurant where
you ate used salt water. When the broccoli is completely cold, drain,
and let it air dry a tad before serving. (The drying probably happened
as the broccoli was at the salad bar before you got there.)


--Lia

Julia Altshuler wrote:

> Here's the way I do it that's even easier for me: Bring the water to a
> rolling boil. Put the broccoli in, cover and turn off the heat. (I
> have electric so I move the pot to a cold burner.) Then time exactly 5
> minutes if I want to consider the broccoli cooked and exactly 2 minutes
> if I want to consider the broccoli blanched but essentially raw.

finger food type raw still? I am going to try this today. I have some
lovely broccoli in need of eating. Perhaps some nice dipping sauces will
be in order next?
Goomba

Goomba38 wrote:

> finger food type raw still? I am going to try this today. I have some
> lovely broccoli in need of eating. Perhaps some nice dipping sauces will
> be in order next?


To make sure it is finger-food type raw to your liking, try leaving it
in the hot, just under boiling water, for only 1 minute. I'd say the
blanching serves to bring out the color and somehow make the salt adhere
better. (I'm not sure of that.) Dipping sauces will be the subject of
the next thread. I love dipping sauces for vegetables.


--Lia

Julia Altshuler wrote:

> To make sure it is finger-food type raw to your liking, try leaving it
> in the hot, just under boiling water, for only 1 minute. I'd say the
> blanching serves to bring out the color and somehow make the salt adhere
> better. (I'm not sure of that.) Dipping sauces will be the subject of
> the next thread. I love dipping sauces for vegetables.

Yes... anyone have a nice gingery sesame type dip?
I had some baked potstickers at work the other night (someone brought
them from home) and they had a lovely dipping sauce made simply from 1/2
cup red jalepeno jelly, 1/4 cup rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons reduced
sodium soy sauce all heated up together to melt. It was very good! I
think that would be good with broccoli too.

In article >,
Goomba38 > wrote:

> Julia Altshuler wrote:
>
> > Here's the way I do it that's even easier for me: Bring the water to a
> > rolling boil. Put the broccoli in, cover and turn off the heat. (I
> > have electric so I move the pot to a cold burner.) Then time exactly 5
> > minutes if I want to consider the broccoli cooked and exactly 2 minutes
> > if I want to consider the broccoli blanched but essentially raw.
>
> finger food type raw still? I am going to try this today. I have some
> lovely broccoli in need of eating. Perhaps some nice dipping sauces will
> be in order next?
> Goomba

Ranch dressing!!!!!!!!! :-d
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Goomba38 > wrote:
>
> > Julia Altshuler wrote:
> >
> > > Here's the way I do it that's even easier for me: Bring the water to
a
> > > rolling boil. Put the broccoli in, cover and turn off the heat. (I
> > > have electric so I move the pot to a cold burner.) Then time exactly
5
> > > minutes if I want to consider the broccoli cooked and exactly 2
minutes
> > > if I want to consider the broccoli blanched but essentially raw.
> >
> > finger food type raw still? I am going to try this today. I have some
> > lovely broccoli in need of eating. Perhaps some nice dipping sauces will
> > be in order next?
> > Goomba
>
> Ranch dressing!!!!!!!!! :-d
> --

What other dipping sauce for veggies is there? :~) Oh, maybe a honey,
garlic, ginger, chili concoction.........

kili

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> Quickly blanch it by plunging the broccoli into water at a rolling boil for
> 1-2 minutes tops, then plunge iimmediately iinto cold or ice water. Works
> well for cauliflower, too.
>

And all this time I have been serving raw broccoli...raw! Who knew?
Thanks Wayne

Wayne Boatwright wrote on 19 Jan 2006 in rec.food.cooking

> On Thu 19 Jan 2006 06:23:08a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it
> Goomba38?
>
> > I had broccoli off a salad bar at a restaurant the other day and the
> > broccoli was wonderful! Seasoned slightly, yet still pretty much
> > raw. I wondered if they blanched it or something first? It was still
> > bright green, dry and crunchy, yet not totally "raw". Is this
> > common and I've somehow missed it? Makes for a great nosh and I want
> > to try it. How do you think they might have done it?
> > Goomba
> >
>
> Quickly blanch it by plunging the broccoli into water at a rolling
> boil for 1-2 minutes tops, then plunge iimmediately iinto cold or ice
> water. Works well for cauliflower, too.
>

I use a hot frying pan...chuck in the brocolli and 5 or 6 oz chicken
bullion flavoured water put on the lid 4 or 5 minutes to tender crisp.

Nice clour, flavour and texture.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

In article >,
Goomba38 > wrote:

> I had broccoli off a salad bar at a restaurant the other day and the
> broccoli was wonderful! Seasoned slightly, yet still pretty much raw. I
> wondered if they blanched it or something first? It was still bright
> green, dry and crunchy, yet not totally "raw". Is this common and I've
> somehow missed it? Makes for a great nosh and I want to try it. How do
> you think they might have done it?
> Goomba

It was probably slightly wilted. ;-)

I DO par-cook carrots as I've fouund that more get eaten that way.
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

I blanch pretty much all my veggies when I make a veggie tray. They all
look so good and they are tastier to me.

Lynne

"Goomba38" > wrote in message
. ..
>I had broccoli off a salad bar at a restaurant the other day and the
>broccoli was wonderful! Seasoned slightly, yet still pretty much raw. I
>wondered if they blanched it or something first? It was still bright green,
>dry and crunchy, yet not totally "raw". Is this common and I've somehow
>missed it? Makes for a great nosh and I want to try it. How do you think
>they might have done it?
> Goomba

King's Crown wrote:
> I blanch pretty much all my veggies when I make a veggie tray. They all
> look so good and they are tastier to me.
>
Yes, it is a matter of taste. Even a brief parboil produces something
different from raw taste. I almost never parboil things for crudités
because I like them raw. To each his own. -aem

I'm surprised...no one mentioned seasoning your water. I never blanch in
plain water if I can help it. Flavour your water...add some other veggies,
maybe some chicken bouillion, worchestershire...etc....make it
flavourful...thats probably how the restaurant did it.


"Goomba38" > wrote in message
. ..
>I had broccoli off a salad bar at a restaurant the other day and the
>broccoli was wonderful! Seasoned slightly, yet still pretty much raw. I
>wondered if they blanched it or something first? It was still bright green,
>dry and crunchy, yet not totally "raw". Is this common and I've somehow
>missed it? Makes for a great nosh and I want to try it. How do you think
>they might have done it?
> Goomba