This is a true Italian masterpiece dish, and often, an acquired taste.
Broccoli rabe is a slightly bitter (in a good way) version of broccoli,
with very leafy, thin stems. It needs a dual cooking process to reach
its best taste, but it's actually quite easy to prepare. Italian
sausage is its perfect partner, but it's also delicious with pasta, as a
side dish, or as a pizza topping.
1 pound of broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2-3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
4 links of Italian sausage (hot or sweet; chicken, turkey or pork - it's up to you)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
Take
the broccoli rabe and plunge it into salted, boiling water for about 90
seconds. Drain the broccoli rabe and put in a bowl of ice water to
stop it from cooking any further. Once it has cooled, drain it again
and shake as much water out of the veggies as possible.
Grill
the sausage until cooked through and nicely crisped on the outside.
Remove from heat and let them sit for 5 minutes so the juices settle
back into the meat. While they are cooling, heat the olive oil in a
large skillet and add the garlic slices, cooking until translucent but
not letting them brown. Then add the red pepper flakes and saute for another 30 seconds.
Add the broccoli rabe, salt and pepper and toss thoroughly -- saute until heated through.
Slice
the sausage into bite-sized pieces and toss into the broccoli rabe. If any of the food is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add
enough broth to loosen it up and keep things moist. Cook for another
2-3 minutes, so the flavors meld, using more broth if necessary. It's
nice to have a little pool of juice at the bottom of the bowl which can
be absorbed by some nice crusty Italian bread.
This is often
served as an appetizer, but it really can be an ample meal, especially
if served along side some risotto, polenta, or even pasta.
No comments:
Post a Comment