2012 Ingredient of the Week 11: Brassicas

The Hill Billy

Morning all!

This week we would like your recipes that include Brassicas, ie Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Sprouts, Kale, Kohlrabi, etc...

Ta,

tHB

Tom Dunne

More and accompaniment than a main dish, but delicious nonetheless.

Chop a couple of rashers into strips, removing any fat (Denny flavoured ones are the best, Hickory/Maple for example). Fry them up in a little oil until they are done. Remove the rashers, set them aside and wipe the pan clean with kitchen roll. Add some fresh oil (just a drop).

Add in some chopped onion (large chunks work better) and lots of chopped cabbage. Fry it for a few minutes, tossing continually. Don't let the cabbage go soggy. Add back in the rashers, they should be still warm. Toss around on the pan for another minute or two.

Add a some black pepper and serve (no salt - there's enough in the rashers).

Very tasty. Goes with a lot of meats, especially steak.

sdp

Cauliflower fritters

one head of steamed cauliflower
well seasoned flour, salt pepper (garlic power or any dry spice you like)
2 eggs beaten
50/75g of freshly grated parmesan cheese
oil for deep fat frying

heat oil to 180/200c
dip cauliflower in flour then in beaten egg and then cheese
fry till crisp and golden

nompere

This is a favourite way with white cabbage.

The quantities are really down to individual taste.

1) Melt a lump of butter in a heavy pot.

2) Add a sliced onion (or two) to the pot and sweat gently. The onion wants to soften, not brown.

3) Add as much well shredded cabbage as is needed - and your pot will hold. Mix well with the onion and butter.

4) Season well - plenty of salt and pepper, and lots of paprika. Cover pot and leave for a few minutes

5) Peel, core and slice an eating apple. Add to pot. (Cooking apples turn to pulp.)

6) Cover the pot and let it cook gently - as low as possible - until the cabbage is tender. It takes up to an hour.

This is brilliant with pretty much anything pork or bacon.

nompere

My cauliflower cheese recipe owes a bit to my white cabbage recipe. I prefer not to boil vegetables if I can avoid it. So:

1) Break up a cauliflower into florets about 1 inch across.

2) Chop up an onion and cook it gently in a lump of butter.

3) When the onion is nearly soft, add the cauliflower, and plenty of seasoning - lots of paprika again!

4) Let it all sweat in a covered pan for about 1/2 an hour.

5) While the cauliflower is still quite crunchy, add about a dessertspoon of flour, and stir it in for a couple of minutes. You're creating a roux with the cauliflower in it. So none of the flavour gets tipped away as it might if you boiled the cauliflower first.

6) Add milk to the pan, bit by bit, stirring to remove any lumps. Keep doing this until you have a nice smooth sauce.

7) Add favourite cheese, and let it melt. By now the cauliflower should be nicly soft.

8) If you like, and I don't always bother, transfer to a dish and grill for a few minutes.

nompere

This is a Madhur Jaffrey recipe that I make a lot. It's a very forgiving recipe, and I sometimes cook it in the oven, and I often leave some or all of the onion, garlic and ginger just chopped up, and not turned into a paste.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
A piece of ginger, 2 inches long and 1 inch wide, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp water
1 large head of cauliflower
8 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 medium tomato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh green coriander
1 fresh hot green chili, washed and finely sliced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Blend the onion, garlic, ginger and 4 Tbsp water into a paste.
2. Break the cauliflower into florets. Wash and drain.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed 10-12 inch pot, over medium heat.
4. Pour in paste and add the turmeric. Fry, stirring, 5 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomato, green coriander, and green chili, and fry 5 minutes. If necessary, add 1 tsp of warm water at a time to prevent sticking.
6. Add the cauliflower, coriander, cumin, garam masala, salt and lemon juice. Stir for 1 minute.
7. Add 4 Tbsp warm water, stir, cover and lower the heat. Allow to cook 35 minutes, stirring gently every 10 minutes or so.
8. The cauliflower is done when the florets are tender, with just a faint trace of crispness.

The Hill Billy

nompere - The Boards Brassica Guru!

nompere

The Hill Billy wrote: »

nompere - The Boards Brassica Guru!

As a child I hated all of them. I still see no point to sprouts - except when frozen, for playing marbles.

sdp

Had these last night, lovely twist on the boiled Brussels sprouts

450g sprouts cut in half lengthways, cook till just tender but still have a bite, 4-5 mins
heat 2 tbsp of oil in wok add 10g butter, when foaming add 50g of slivered almonds, toss for 1-2 mins then add sprouts and 1 tsp of garam masala and 150ml of cream, season with salt and pepper

kids had, puree of sprouts,
cook the sprouts till tender, put in blender, add 150ml of cream and 15g of butter, season well with salt and pepper, puree till smooth,
reheat in non stick pan

Dizzyblonde

sdp wrote: »

Had these last night, lovely twist on the boiled Brussels sprouts

450g sprouts cut in half lengthways, cook till just tender but still have a bite, 4-5 mins
heat 2 tbsp of oil in wok add 10g butter, when foaming add 50g of slivered almonds, toss for 1-2 mins then add sprouts and 1 tsp of garam masala and 150ml of cream, season with salt and pepper

kids had, puree of sprouts,
cook the sprouts till tender, put in blender, add 150ml of cream and 15g of butter, season well with salt and pepper, puree till smooth,
reheat in non stick pan

That sounds really nice, I love sprouts

The Hill Billy

HB Jr II (he's 5yo) was served sprouts in his Nana's last week & decided that he loves them when his Grandad told him that they make you fart. He can't get enough of them now.

That's my boy!

huskerdu

Herre is a very simple and quick recipe for Pasta with broccoli which is far more than the sum of its parts.



Cook pasta and half way through the cooking, add broccoli chopped into small florets.

Heat 2 tbsps olive oil and add 2 cloves of finley chopped garlic. Cook gently for a few minutes.

When the pasta and broccoli are cooked, transfer to a very well heated serving bowl.
Add the garlic and olive oil and add lots of grated cheese. Mix and let the heat of the serving bowl melt the cheese. Any cheese that melts well will do, or a mixture. Even just cheddar is lovely.

Season well and serve.

Stheno

Here's one with savoy cabbage.

Chop the cabbage into thin strips about 1 cm wide.
Chop some streaky bacon into lardon style shapes

Heat a wok with a tablespoon of nut oil, until it's fairly hot, but no smoking.

Stir fry the bacon until it is starting to get crispy
Add the cabbage and stir fry until it is getting soft, but still "al dente", making sure you mix the bacon in well.

Add some sesame seeds, and serve.

Martyn1989

Excellant recipes here I'm going to try them all in order, they'll breath a little life into my cabbage (normally simmered, strained and tossed with black pepper).

Keep them coming.

homemadecider

Roasted broccoli is a favourite in my house, it has a wonderful crunch that you don't get from boiling/ steaming.

Break the broccoli into florets and lay in one layer on a baking tray. Drizzle generously with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 180 for about 20 mins and just before serving hit it with a light drizzle of lemon juice and some shaved parmesan.

I kind of want to eat it right now after typing all that!

Minder

I've made this before and it was excellent

Cavatelli with broccoli and colatura (anchovy sauce)

You will need a cavatelli/gnocchi pasta maker or a regular pasta maker with a cavatelli/gnocchi attachment for this recipe. (Or do as I did and use a shop bought pasta)

Ingredients
500g/1lb 2oz semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
warm water, for binding
200g/7oz broccoli, cut into small pieces
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 salted anchovies, chopped
1 tbsp colatura (anchovy sauce; available in Italian grocers and online)
2g grated bottarga (dried grey mullet roe)
Preparation method
Place the semolina flour into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle, then slowly mix in enough warm water to form a firm dough.
Turn the pasta out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in cling film and set aside to rest for about 2 hours.
Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Flour the pasta machine and feed each piece through to form cavatelli. Set aside the pasta on a lightly floured tray and cover with a tea towel as you work through the remaining dough.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the cavatelli and broccoli and blanch for 1-2 minutes.
Heat a frying pan over a high heat and add the olive oil. Fry the garlic and chilli for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Add the chopped anchovies and cook, stirring frequently, until they break down in the pan.
Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving some of the pasta cooking liquid, and add to the pan. Add the colatura and mix well, then add a splash of the pasta cooking liquid. Stir well to coat the pasta in the sauce.
To serve, spoon the pasta onto serving plates and sprinkle over the grated bottarga.

EZ24GET

Red Cabbage with Caraway Seed

Wash and drain cabbage. Cut in shreds. Fry 3 slices bacon. Remove bacon to plate. Saute' 2 tablespoons chopped onion in the bacon grease. Add the cabbage. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Chop up 2 apples and add to cabbage. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 cup boiling water, stir. Reduce heat, cover and cook slowly for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of flour in 1/2 cup vinegar or red wine. Add to cabbage and simmer 10 more minutes. Finally stir in 1 tablespoon caraway seed and crumbled bacon.