Charred Broccoli and Almond Salad
Broccoli cooked until it is black in places, dressed while it is still hot so it drinks everything up. This is a salad in the sense that it is served on a platter, and in no other sense.
- Prep 8 min
- Cook 12 min
- Total 20 min
- Serves 4
- Vegan
Method
Step 1. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in the bottom of the serving platter. Doing it in the platter means the hot broccoli lands straight in it and there is one less bowl to wash.
Step 2. Dry the broccoli properly with a tea towel. Wet broccoli steams; it will not char.
Step 3. Put a large heavy frying pan or griddle over a high heat and leave it for a full three minutes until it is genuinely hot.
Step 4. Toss the broccoli with the 2 tablespoons of oil and a good pinch of salt, then lay it in the pan in one layer. Work in two batches if it does not fit.
Step 5. Leave it alone for 4 minutes. Turn, and give it another 3 to 4, until it is blistered and blackened in patches and the stems still have a distinct bite.
Step 6. Tip the hot broccoli straight into the dressing and turn it over. It will hiss and soak up most of the dressing in the first thirty seconds.
Step 7. Scatter with the almonds and parsley and serve warm or at room temperature. Do not refrigerate it before serving — cold dulls the whole thing.
Notes from the kitchen
- Ordinary broccoli works: cut it into thin steaks straight through the head rather than into florets, so there are flat faces to char.
- The sugar in the dressing is there to balance the bitterness of the char. Leave it out and the salad tastes burnt rather than smoky.
- Excellent the next day, chopped up and folded through cooked grains with a bit more lemon.
