This is more of a technique than a recipe, and it’s the perfect method for cooking any green vegetable. The technique, called blanching and shocking, is the same no matter what vegetable you’re making; only the cooking time will vary. The idea here is that you PARcook the veg first in boiling water (Get it? Partially cooked), then you stop the cooking process immediately by tossing the whole shootin’ match in salty ice water. Once your veg is parcooked, you can finish it however you like—sautéed in olive oil and garlic, for example, as I do here. This method works for broccoli, broccoli rabe, haricots verts, green beans, sugar snap peas, English peas, fava beans, asparagus . . . as I said, anything green!
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Step 2
Set up a large bowl of well-salted ice water.
Step 3
Toss the veg into the boiling water and let the water return to a boil. As soon as it does, test the veg for doneness by tasting a piece. If it is cooked as you like it, carry on—if not, continue to cook it for another minute or two. (How crisp or tender you like your vegetables is a matter of taste—YOU BE THE JUDGE!)
Step 4
When the veg is cooked to your liking, remove it from the boiling water and plunge it IMMEDIATELY into the ice water; swish it around so it cools completely. When the veggies are COLD, remove them from the ice water and let the water drain off or pat them dry—otherwise they’ll splatter when they hit the hot oil. (Everything up to this point can be done ahead of time—like yesterday.)
Step 5
Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil, toss in the garlic and red pepper, and bring the pan to medium-high heat. When the garlic is golden and very aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes, remove it from the pan and ditch it—it has fulfilled its garlic destiny!
Step 6
Toss the veggies into the pan, stir to coat them in the oil, and cook until just warmed through. Season with salt and taste to make sure they’re delicious.
