Houndstooth Hints-Get The Bitter Out Of Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli rabe-I love the stuff. I mean, I can eat it any time of day, which is odd because it’s decidedly strong and can be bitter. Blanching broccoli rabe significantly cuts down on this bitterness, and allows the real flavor to come through. But, who wants to bring an entire pot of water to a boil, and fill a large bowl with icewater to shock it after blanching? Not me!
The good news is-you don’t have to. I cut up my rabe and place it in a salad spinner. Next, I bring a kettle full of water to a boil, and pour it over the rabe and let it soak for about a minute. Then, I lift the basket of rabe out of the spinner and pour out the hot water before returning the basket to the bowl and running under cold water. Finally, after the cold rinse, I spin the rabe to remove as much water as possible, and into a pan it goes. This step can be done ahead of time without a problem.
Pictured is plated rabe with golden raisins and evoo for drizzling.
Very clever! I’ve never thought of using my salad spinner this way. Thanks for sharing!
Darn good idea. Once again, more ideas for the salad spinner. Alton Brown would be so proud of your multi-tasking something normally used for one thing!
I’ve been soaking regular broccoli in the spinner too. Same method. I prep broccoli like this when I’m eating it in salad. Raw, raw broccoli is too much for me and my GI tract to handle!!
beautiful shot of the rabe! it was wonderful to meet you last night; hope to do it again soon.
–alison