easy seasonal
APRIL 2020 bbcgoodfood.com 53rosie’s seasonal stars
D
eep green and royal purple, its colours as beautiful as
a Farrow & Ball catalogue. Purple sprouting broccoli,
or ‘PSB’ as it’s affectionately known, is one of my
all-time favourite cruciferous vegetables. As well as bringing
much needed colour during the cooler months and into spring,
it’s packed full of vitamins A, B and C, is laden with iron and,
more importantly, full of flavour – peppery and bittersweet.
It is utterly delectable, and you’ve got until the end of April
to make the most of it.
While it does make for a wonderful side dish, PSB more than
warrants being given centre stage, and pairs especially well
with creamy tastes and bold flavours, making for a lovely lunch,
starter or sharing plate when roasted, tumbled with pearly
jersey potatoes then piled onto burrata with a citrussy,
anchovy-flecked tahini dressing (recipe on page 54). If you have
a leafy bunch, don’t discard the leaves; rather roast some until
crisp (keeping an eye on them) and use to add another texture,
then very finely chop the rest to bulk out the dressing.
More elegant than its bulbous calabrese cousin, purple
sprouting has been cultivated since Roman times, and
is best eaten as close as possible to being
picked – something I’ve learned from
growing it on the allotment. However,
if it flops, it can be refreshed in a
bowl of cold water in the fridge for
a few hours. Look out for the
thin-stemmed stuffwith tight,
bright florets and go to farmers’
markets or greengrocers rather
than the supermarket to get the
freshest stuff. Most of us will have it
on our plates a good while after its
been harvested, however, and with
that in mind, I’ve taken to roasting it
to bring out the nutty, earthy and
peppery flavours and add some
irresistible crunch to its florets.
If you’re one for growing your own,
you’ll be well served by planting PSBthis year. Some of the hardier varieties sown in summer
will produce harvests from winter through to spring.
I’ve found it to be the gift that keeps on giving: once you
snip away at the stems, they just keep on coming.
With very fresh specimens, treating it incredibly simply
is best: try steaming, boiling or simply frying in a little
olive oil. Lay the stems flat out in a shallow pan and cover
with 8-10cm boiling water, or even better, steam the
lengths until they are tender, then enjoy with a simple
buttery sauce infused with a little lemon zest, some
anchovies, or, bottarga, if you can get it.
Broccoli and tahini are good friends – the tahini coats
the brassica in its silky richness – and I’m a big fan of a
gingery, honeyed miso (see the recipe overleaf ), which
transforms simple steamed broccoli into something
really luxurious and craveable. A perfect snack, or side
for a roasted fish dish or grilled steak – and good for
everyday broccoli, too, after the season for PSB has ended.Good Foodcontributing editor Rosie
Birkett is a food writer and stylist, and
a regular on BBC One’sSaturday Kitchen.
Her latest book,The Joyful Home Cook,
is out now (£20, HarperCollins).
@rosiefoodiepunchy PSB
ALSO IN SEASON
cabbageQcauliflowerQceleriacQcodQ
halibutQlambQnew potatoesQrhubarbQ
salmonQ sorrelQ watercressQwhite asparagusLove broccoli?Rosie Birkett
explains why the purple sprouting
variety is so much more than just
its trendy cousin