Pan Roasted Broccoli: Charred, Crispy and Never Soggy
Roasting is a delicious, hands-off way to cook broccoli, but it has downsides. It tends to come out dry and shrivelled, it looks quite dull, and it takes a long time, usually 20 to 30 minutes. This pan roasted broccoli keeps the flavour of oven roasting and adds the speed of stovetop cooking, so you get the best of both worlds.
You fry the broccoli cut side down in a covered heavy pan, so it chars and lightly steams at the same time. The tops stay vibrant green and tender, and the stalks get that desirable al dente texture. This method is used a lot in restaurants to cook vegetables quickly, and it brings out their natural flavours.
Three simple tricks make it work: a salt-water soak, frying with the lid on, and dressing the broccoli off the heat.
Why Roasted Broccoli Often Lets You Down
Before testing this method, I followed a simple roasted broccoli recipe with my oven set at 220C. It was good: the tops had that unique crispness, it did not take much work, and it was ready in just over 20 minutes. But it had the flaws I mentioned. Some of the stalks had dehydrated to the point where they were tough to chew, because the fibres had not softened, and the tops had lost their vibrant green and their plumpness.
There is a fine line between undercooked, crunchy stalks and complete dehydration, so the results can be inconsistent. Don’t get me wrong, I love the flavour of crispy roasted tops. This method is simply a quicker way to roast broccoli, and it gives you other options.
Trick 1: Cut Large Florets and Soak Them in Salted Water
Cut the outer florets from the stalk until you get to the top part, where they are bunched tighter together, and take that part off with a knife. Then split the florets, mostly in half, so you have large pieces. For this recipe I like to go large, because it means fewer pieces to handle later.
I slice down the stalk and pull the florets apart rather than slicing through the flowers. If you slice through the flowers on top, there is always some left behind on your chopping board, but if you pull the stalk apart only a few pieces fall off. It is one of those little 1% details.
This way you pan roast a whole head of broccoli and use all of it. The florets go in the pan, and the main stem is saved for another dish. Peel off the fibrous outer layer until you reach the tender section, then use it in a soup or grate it into a salad or slaw.
Next, fill a bowl with 2 litres of cold water and stir in a dessert spoon of salt, so it is quite heavily salted. This kills any bugs or insects living inside the broccoli, which is more common than you think, so it is something I always do. Leave the florets in the water for 5 minutes, drain them, then dry them in a salad spinner. It does not take much, so you do not need to go crazy. You now have clean, insect-free, dry broccoli, the perfect foundation for the pan.
Trick 2: Fry Cut Side Down With the Lid On
Use a heavy-bottomed frying pan or a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. The crucial things are the lid and a thick base, and for most people a saucepan will be the best choice. Put it on a medium-high heat (6 out of 9 on my induction hob) for a minute or two. You want the pan hot, but not screaming hot.
Add 10 ml of olive oil and coat the base. Then arrange the broccoli so that as many of the flat cut sides as possible touch the base of the pan. It is the step people probably will not like, but it is important for getting the flavour of oven roasted broccoli. Go around the outer rim first, then fill in the centre. Season lightly with salt and put the lid on.
If you have seen my Brussels sprouts video, this is exactly the same technique, and the full method is in my charred Brussels sprouts recipe. The same idea of maximising flat, cut surfaces against the pan is also what makes my charred cabbage wedges with brown butter work.
The lid does two jobs. It helps maintain the heat of the pan, and more importantly it traps the steam, so the broccoli is lightly steaming while it fries. On an induction hob or a small gas ring there is a hot spot in the centre of the pan, so it is easy to burn the food in the middle and undercook the food near the rim. To help prevent this, move the pan around, north, south, east and west, every 30 seconds or so. About 30 seconds after the lid went on I also reduced the heat to 5 out of 9, because the pan sounded like it was frying quite hard.
After 3 minutes, check how it is doing. You should have great colour developing on the flat cut sides, but the broccoli will still be a little al dente. To cook it through, add a 50 ml shot of water, put the lid straight back on and cook for around another minute. The broccoli is still beautifully green, with nice fried edges that give you that oven roasted flavour, plus the freshness and texture of steamed broccoli.
Keep the pan on the heat until you hear a frying sound again. That means most of the water has evaporated and the broccoli is starting to crisp. It takes literally 10 to 30 seconds, no more, then take the pan off the heat.
Trick 3: Dress the Broccoli Off the Heat
While the broccoli cooks you have time to make a simple dressing, but you need to be quick. Grate 2 garlic cloves very finely on a microplane (or chop them finely with a knife if you do not have a fine grater), then add 1/2 teaspoon of cracked black pepper, a little salt and 20 ml of olive oil. Go easy on the salt, because the broccoli is already seasoned.
Once the pan is off the heat, add the dressing, mix so it coats the broccoli, then leave it in the pan for 2 minutes. Dressing the hot broccoli at this stage, and not any later, helps cook out and soften the raw, pungent flavour of the garlic. I learned this from making fresh pesto, where the heat from the toasted pine nuts lightly cooks the garlic. This passive residual heat also means the garlic will not burn, because the pan is gradually cooling instead of heating, and it gives you time to get the rest of your meal together.
I like my broccoli stems al dente: tender, with a crunch in the middle. The tops are fresh and vibrant, the edges have that delicious oven roasted flavour, and the garlic ties everything together.
Pan Roasted Broccoli: Charred, Crispy and Never Soggy
Ingredients
For the broccoli
- 500 g broccoli florets cut from the head, main stem kept for another dish
- 2 litres cold water for soaking
- 1 dessert spoon salt for the soaking water
- 10 ml olive oil for the pan
- 1/2 g salt to season the broccoli in the pan
- 50 ml water added to the pan after 3 minutes
For the garlic dressing
- 2 cloves garlic grated very finely
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/2 g salt
- 20 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the outer florets from the stalk until you reach the top part where they are bunched tighter together, and take this part off with a knife. Slice down the stalk and pull the florets apart, splitting them mostly in half so you have large pieces. Peel the main stem and save it for a soup, or grate it into a salad or slaw.
- Stir 1 dessert spoon of salt into 2 litres of cold water. Add the florets and leave them to sit for 5 minutes. This kills any bugs or insects living inside the broccoli.
- Drain the florets and dry them in a salad spinner until they are as dry as possible. This does not take much.
- Put a heavy-bottomed frying pan or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid on a medium-high heat (6 out of 9 on an induction hob) for a minute or two. You want the pan hot, but not screaming hot.
- Add 10 ml of olive oil and coat the base of the pan. Arrange the broccoli so that as many flat cut sides as possible touch the base, going around the outer rim first and then filling in the centre. Season lightly with 1/2 g of salt and put the lid on.
- Reduce the heat to 5 out of 9 about 30 seconds after the lid goes on, if the pan sounds like it is frying quite hard. Move the pan around, north, south, east and west, every 30 seconds or so to prevent a hot spot in the centre. Fry for 3 minutes in total.
- While the broccoli cooks, grate 2 garlic cloves very finely on a microplane, or chop them finely with a knife. Mix with 1/2 teaspoon of cracked black pepper, 1/2 g of salt and 20 ml of olive oil.
- After 3 minutes, check the colour on the flat cut sides. Add a 50 ml shot of water, put the lid straight back on and cook for around another minute.
- Keep the pan on the heat until you hear a frying sound again, which means most of the water has evaporated and the broccoli is starting to crisp. This takes 10 to 30 seconds. Take the pan off the heat.
- Add the garlic dressing and mix so it coats the broccoli. Leave it in the pan for 2 minutes. The residual heat softens the raw garlic flavour without burning it.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
| Total Fat | 7.4g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.1g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0mg |
| Sodium | 138.7mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 9.0g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.4g |
| Sugars | 2.1g |
| Protein | 3.6g |
| Potassium | 404.9mg |
How Do You Make Garlic Broccoli?
Fry the broccoli cut side down in a covered pan until it is charred and lightly steamed, then take the pan off the heat. Stir in finely grated raw garlic, black pepper, a little salt and olive oil, and leave it for 2 minutes. The residual heat softens the raw garlic without burning it.
Two cloves make a garlicky, punchy dressing. If you are not much of a garlic fan, one clove will be plenty, and if you love garlic you can go up to five, six or seven. If you are cautious, start with one.
More Side Dish Recipes
For another green vegetable cooked on the stove, try my sautéed asparagus with feta, lemon and toasted pumpkin seeds.
