Confession: I did this paper tray of grilled broccoli last week, and I ate it all right out of the pan while standing at the kitchen counter. It all started innocently — I was just gliding this sweet and spicy drizzle over this hot and crispy dish. broccoli teacher, so I did a quick taste test. After all, the number one rule in cooking is to taste it as you please, right?
So I took another piece and ate it. Then I picked up another piece. And another. Before I knew it, I ate the whole plate. Rice I cooked it to eat with it still bare. Then I decided to make broccoli again the next night because I couldn’t stop thinking about how delicious it was. After getting through the third night in a row, I typed into Google, ‘Is it possible to eat too much broccoli?‘? All of this to say that this broccoli is good. It’s delicious, but it’s also incredibly easy to make. Everyone knows I love a good recipe without a recipe and this might just be my new favorite recipe. Chances are, it will be yours too.
Prepare broccoli, stem and all!
When you only have one main ingredient that is the star, it’s important to be careful while prepping to really highlight how good it can be. In this recipe, broccoli is the protagonist. Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing it.
First, you don’t dare to cut and throw away the trunk. I used to do this because I thought the stem was too fibrous and added nothing to my plate. Now that I know how to prepare it, I’m handling it myself to make sure you don’t waste any more (ever!) While prepping the broccoli, use a vegetable peeler to peel off a layer of the stem. Beneath the tough outer shell is a soft and sweet inside that is perfect for flavoring.
From there, cut from the stem down to get the large broccoli tops. This ensures that the flowers remain intact and the stems are exposed to as much heat as possible for roasting. Retain all the small portions that come from shredding the broccoli — those parts come out crispier (so delicious) in the oven. And when grilling vegetables, high heat and plenty of space are key. Note: This means two sheet trays will do the trick. But since these are larger pieces, you want to separate them for baking instead of steaming.
Full flavor with this drizzle
This sauce is so good that I double it. I did at first Hey Miso-Sesame Vinaigrette from culinary genius J.Kenji López-Alt for the salad a few weeks ago. When I made this broccoli, I thought it might be a good alternative to this vegetable, but I was missing some ingredients. Solution? I decided to go rogue with what I had in hand, and I’m glad I did. A couple of swaps and spice cravings have resulted in this dreamy sauce that I will make over and over again.
The chili oil is what really adds to this wonderfully spreading heat that keeps the toppings from being overwhelmed by the seasoning. Plus, it’s delicious enough to keep you coming back for seconds. I bought my chili oil from H-Mart, but I also used Hetty McKinnon’s Everything Oil from her cookbook, To Asia, with love. Before asking, you can use crispy chili if you want. I love Fly By Jing Chili Crisp and Momofuku Chili Crunch. I’ll just add a little more oil as needed.
The combination of the heat with the sweetness from the honey enhanced by the salty umami from the miso is great. And broccoli is a perfect white canvas for flavor. As with all sauces, taste and adjust to suit your preferences. Use my recipe below as a guide!
Serve all
This no-recipe recipe has been on my rotation for a while, and I’ve served it up in so many ways. In addition to eating directly on a tray (highly recommended), this broccoli is great over rice, noodles, and even in bread. I love to get creative with sandwich fillings, and larger slices of broccoli are perfect on bread. I chopped up leftovers and reheated them in a pan with greens for a frittata. And if you really want to get creative, try crunching them in the oven and enjoy with avocado toast. Be sure to wear extra clothes to add to the leftovers. That is, if you have any.
