Blanching an ingredient means cooking it in steam or boiling water for a short period of time and then immediately immersing it in ice water in order to stop cooking. If done correctly, blanching the broccoli will retain its bright green color and crunchy texture. Read the tutorial and experiment with the two proposed methods.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Blanch the Broccoli with Water
Step 1. Prepare the broccoli
Wash and slice them to the desired size. If possible, make pieces of uniform size, they will require the same cooking time.
Step 2. Bring the water to a boil
Take a large pot and fill it 2/3 full with water. Cover the pot with the lid and put it on a high heat.
When the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt. This trick will not only give flavor to the water, it will also raise its boiling point making broccoli cooking more effective
Step 3. Prepare the ice water
While you wait for the water to boil, fill a bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Set it aside.
Step 4. Cook the broccoli
When the water in the pot comes to a boil, carefully submerge the broccoli pieces. As soon as the water starts boiling again, set the cooking timer.
- Cook the 3-4 cm large inflorescences for about 3 minutes. Adjust the cooking time according to the size of your broccoli pieces.
- After blanching, the broccoli should be green and firm (only slightly softened).
Step 5. Cool the broccoli
Drain the broccoli with a colander or slotted spoon, eliminating the cooking water. Immediately transfer them to ice water to stop the cooking process.
After 30 seconds, remove the cold broccoli from the water and let it drain in a colander
Step 6. Serve
As with other vegetables, blanching broccoli can be the primary cooking method or the first step towards later cooking in a pan.
Often secondary cooking methods add flavor to vegetables without cooking them evenly. Blanching an ingredient is a great way to pre-cook it before sautéing or pan-frying it
Method 2 of 2: Blanch the Broccoli with Steam
Blanching a vegetable with steam can be a primary cooking method or a preparation for later freezing. This method preserves the color, crunchiness, nutrients and texture of the vegetables. Compared to vegetables that are not subjected to this additional treatment, vegetables blanched before freezing retain up to 1300% more vitamin C and other nutrients.
Step 1. Wash and prepare the broccoli
Wash and slice them to the desired size. If possible, make pieces of uniform size, they will require the same cooking time.
Step 2. Prepare them for steaming
Pour 3-5 cm of water into the bottom of a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Place the vegetables in a steamer basket and be sure to place it above the water level. Cover the pot and prepare the ice water as described in the previous section.
Try to arrange the inflorescences in a single single layer to be sure that the steam can reach them evenly
Step 3. Set the cooking time
When the steam starts to come out, start the kitchen timer.
- Blanching the broccoli with the steam will take about 5 minutes.
- About halfway through cooking, remove the lid and make sure the broccoli is cooking evenly without piling up on top of each other.
Step 4. Stop the cooking process
After blanching the broccoli, remove the basket from the pot and immediately transfer the vegetables to the ice water.
Step 5. Complete the preparation
After about 30 seconds, remove the cold broccoli from the water and let it drain in a colander. When the inflorescences are dry you can eat them or pack them preparing them for freezing.
Advice
- If you want to incorporate the blanched broccoli into a recipe, heat it for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add them to a plate of pasta or fry them for a few moments in a pan.
- Store the broccoli in a food bag and freeze it for later use.
- Blanched broccoli can be eaten in a pinzimonio or added to a salad.
Warnings
- Using an insufficient amount of water leaving the vegetables partially exposed will not allow them to cook evenly. Make sure the broccoli is completely submerged.
- Blanching vegetables for more than 2 minutes causes them to lose color and crunchiness.
