If you’re anything like me, you’ll be guilty of making a tiny barely audible squeak whenever you see bright, fresh, in-season PSB on the shelves of the greengrocer. I love how tender and easily cooked it is, in addition to its unique totally gorge colour.
This recipe is similar to the fricassee of chanterelles, posted a few months ago, but it has a much fresher spring vibe to it. The aniseed tones of the fennel really lift the dish from something which could feel super indulgent and rich to a much lighter winter meal.
I serve this usually with boiled new potatoes but it works beautifully well with tagliatelle too. Either way, make sure you have a nice hunk of bread at the ready to soak up all the excess juices. Trust me, you won’t want to waste a drip.
Fricassee of Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Ingredients
- 4 stems PSB (leaves split from florets and both reserved)
- 40 g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 bulb shallots (quartered)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed with the side of your knife and chopped roughly)
- 50 g shredded fennel
- Pinch salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp vegan white wine
- 110 g vegan cream
- 55 g water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to the boil. Blanch the stems of PSB in the boiling water for 2 minutes max. Transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop them cooking. Set aside.
- In large deep frying pan over medium heat, add the butter and the olive oil. Bring to temperature until the butter is melted. Add the shallots and fry for a minute or two until turning translucent. Add the garlic and fennel. Season. Cook for a further two minutes, stirring regularly, until the fennel starts to turn translucent.
- Add the white wine and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated (a few minutes). Add the cream, water and the PSB stems and leaves. Cover with a lid and cook for a further 3-5 minutes until the PSB is cooked through.
- Once the PSB is cooked but still nice and bright in colour, turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and stir through the oregano.
- Check for seasoning and then serve with either fresh pasta or boiled new potatoes.