Lemon Broccoli

Boiled broccoli finished in garlic-infused oil with a hit of fresh lemon juice. Three ingredients past the broccoli itself, and the whole thing comes together in minutes.

Boiling the broccoli first until tender, then giving it a quick toss in the hot garlic oil is a two-step method that gives you even cooking without raw or burnt spots. The lemon juice goes in right at the end so it stays bright and punchy instead of cooking out.

Split the stalks before boiling so they cook at the same rate as the florets. Thick, unsplit stems stay crunchy long after the tops have gone mushy.

Chef Tips

• Don’t boil the broccoli past tender. You want it cooked through but still with some bite, since it gets a second round of heat in the garlic oil.
• Heat the garlic gently in the oil. Minced garlic burns fast and turns bitter. Pull it off the heat the moment it turns fragrant and pale gold.
• Use fresh lemon juice, not bottled. The difference in brightness is noticeable in a dish this simple.

Variations

• Swap vegetable oil for olive oil and add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a Mediterranean spin.
• Squeeze the lemon over the top at the table and add shaved Parmesan for a richer side.
• Toss in toasted almond slivers or pine nuts for crunch.