From spicy noodles to a light pie: Ravinder Bhogal’s recipes for purple sprouting broccoli
Before we start swooning over asparagus and jersey royals, let’s take a moment to appreciate the robust appeal of purple sprouting broccoli.Like its regular calabrese cousin, it’s packed full of nutrients, but the taste is nuttier and more complex, while the texture has a wonderful, satisfying bite.Steamed, boiled, stir-fried or roasted, PSB will stand up to all sorts of punchy flavours, from briny anchovies to bold Asian condiments.Sausage, greens, noodles and a speedy, big-flavoured sauce make for a great weeknight supper to cook on repeat.I use udon, but you could use any noodles you like, even spaghetti.
Prep 15 min Cook 25 min Serves 460g tahini 4 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar, or rice vinegar 1 tsp sugar 3 tsp toasted sesame oil 2 spring onions, green parts only, finely sliced90g of your favourite chilli crisp – I love Laoganma1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger1 fat garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped40g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped1 tbsp neutral oil, such as avocado oil450g sausages, skin removed and flesh broken upSea salt and black pepper 225g purple sprouting broccoli 250g noodles Lime juice, to tasteToasted sesame seeds, to garnishIn a heatproof bowl, whisk the tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and toasted sesame oil, then add the spring onions,Put the chilli crisp in a pan over a medium-high heat, then add the ginger, garlic and peanuts, and cook until sizzling and aromatic,Pour this over the spring onion mix and stir,Wipe out the pan and heat the oil,Fry the sausagemeat for five to seven minutes, until browned and crisp, then season to taste with a little sea salt and black pepper.
While the sausage is frying, bring a pan of salted water to a boil.Blanch the broccoli, then lift out with a slotted spoon and refresh under ice-cold water.Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions – to make things easy, boil them in the same water you used for the broccoli.Pour the spring onion and chilli dressing into the sausage pan, then add the noodles and broccoli, and toss well to coat.Add a squeeze of lime juice, scatter with sesame seeds and serve.
Light pastry, cheese and a forest full of broccoli makes for a lovely light lunch – feel free to swap the ricotta for some feta, or use a combination of the two.Prep 10 min Rest 1 hr Cook 1 hr 10 min Serves 4-6For the dough 350g plain flour, plus extra for dustingSea salt and black pepper 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushingFor the filling500g purple sprouting broccoli 1 tbsp olive oil1 onion, peeled and finely chopped250g ricotta100g parmesan, gratedRinds of 2 preserved lemons, finely choppedGrated zest of 1 large lemonStart by making the dough.In a large bowl, combine the flour and a pinch of sea salt, then pour in the oil and180ml water, and knead into a dough that is soft and elastic but not sticky –if need be, adjust with more flour or water.Wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge to rest for an hour.Meanwhile, make the filling.
Chop the broccoli into small, even, bite-sized pieces and cook in salted boiling water for two to three minutes, until tender.Drain well, then squeeze out any excess liquid.In a frying pan, heat the oil over a medium flame, saute the onion until soft and translucent, then take off the heat and leave to cool.In a bowl, stir the ricotta to loosen it, then add the parmesan, preserved lemon rind, fresh lemon zest and broccoli.Season with sea salt and pepper, and mix well.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper,Unwrap the dough and divide it in two,Dust a work surface with flour, then roll out one piece of the dough as thinly as possible into a roughly 27cm-diameter circle,Roll this on to the rolling pin, then unroll it on top of the lined baking sheet and spread the filling all over the top,Roll out the second piece of dough to the same size, then lay this on top of the filling.
Join up the edges and fold them towards the centre to close the pie.Pierce the entire surface with a fork, then brush with plenty of olive oil.Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and crisp.Serve warm or at room temperatureThis silky, parmesan-rich polenta serves as the perfect bed for toothsome stalks of purple sprouting broccoli.If you don’t have a griddle pan, cook the spears under the grill or roast them in the oven until smoky and charred.
Prep 15 min Cook 25 min Serves 6350g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed and cut into even piecesSea salt and black pepper2 anchovy fillets 1 garlic clove, peeled and very finely chopped3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve1½ lemons, 1 zestedFor the polenta1 litre vegetable stock 150g fine polenta 80g finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve60g unsalted butterBlanch the broccoli in salted boiling water for a minute, then drain and refresh in ice-cold water.In a bowl, use a fork to mash the anchovies into the garlic, then stir in the olive oil.For the polenta, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan on a medium heat, then gradually pour in the polenta in a steady stream, whisking continuously.Turn down the heat as low as it will go, then simmer, whisking occasionally and, as the mixture thickens, more frequently, for about 15 minutes.Meanwhile, get a griddle pan very hot.
Lay the half lemon cut side down on the griddle and leave it to blacken,Season the broccoli with sea salt and drizzle over the anchovy oil, then griddle the broccoli for a minute or two on each side until charred and smoky,Finish the polenta by whisking in the butter and parmesan, and season,Squeeze the charred lemon over the broccoli,To serve, spoon the polenta on to plates and top with some broccoli.
Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, scatter over a little lemon zest and shave over some extra parmesan.
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A glass of Port, Madeira or Marsala is just the thing to elevate chocolate and Simnel cakeThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Vinte Vinte Chocolate and Port Tasting Box, Douro, Portugal NV (from £22, amazon.co
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