I truly believe this is the best way to make broccoli and the best way to convert non-broccoli eaters. Both my husband and my son love it cooked this way.
There was one day a couple years ago where I thought, I don’t want to steam and I don’t want to roast. Steaming doesn’t have enough flavor and roasting makes the broccoli dry and chewy, so i thought, maybe I should try sautéeing it. At the time my then 2 year son would only eat veggies that were roasted or sautéed. So, I tossed the florets in a pot with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and I’ve been making broccoli this way ever since. There are a couple tricks to making this the best ever:
- Don’t put the broccoli into the pot until it’s hot.
- You must salt the broccoli as soon as you throw it in the pot, that way the salt soaks in as the broccoli cooks.
- Cook it covered and at a medium or medium-low heat, depending on how your stove cooks. I find that I start on medium and lower the temp as i see the dark spots appear on the broccoli.
- Always check the broccoli every couple minutes while cooking to toss it and make sure it doesn’t burn.
Sautéed Broccoli
2 small bunches of fresh broccoli cut into florets
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Heat a medium sized saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. When the pan is hot toss in the broccoli, season with kosher salt and pepper then cover the pot. Uncover the pot, check and stir every couple minutes to keep the broccoli from getting too dark on one side. If it seems like it’s getting dark fast, turn down the heat and keep it covered. It only takes about 7-10 minutes for perfectly cooked broccoli. Turn off the heat and uncover when it’s done to your liking.
