Oven-Roasted Broccoli
Dry heat has the ability to trigger chemical changes that intensify the natural sugars in broccoli which can balance out any possible bitterness. Step one, hot packs to 425, yes, it’s a lot of heat but it won’t be in there for long. Now, I have a pound of broccoli here which have been trimmed and rinsed. Now this time, we’re going to need bite size pieces. So any florets that are more than modest mouthfuls will need to be split down. The stocks should be cut into eight-inch thick slices.
Now, we’re going to toss this with two tablespoons of olive oil in which I have two cloves of minced garlic, one-half teaspoon of kosher salt, and a quarter teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Now toss that. And then we’re just going to set this aside. Now changing the texture of a food can change the flavor by altering the way the taste buds perceived the chemicals involved. Adding some Japanese bread crumbs to the occasion will do just that and it taste darn good.
Now don’t just toss these crumbs to the broccoli. Without a little pre-toasting, they won’t ground due to surface moisture. So spread out, I would say, a third of a cup of them into a 9X13 metal cake pan and toast in the heating oven for exactly two minutes.
When the bread crumbs look nice and toasty, toss them with the rest of the broccoli mixture to coat. Put it back in the pan and roast another eight to 10 minutes or until the broccoli is just tender.
Upon exiting the hot packs, I like to transfer the broccoli into another bowl, kind of just to knock down the heat a little bit and toss in a quarter of a cup of sharp cheddar cheese. Now you could use just about any cheese. You can even use parmesan here but I like – I like it sharp and a little of the gooey side. Now when this cools, you can cover and refrigerate for up to two days. It will only get better with age. Me though, I kind of like when it's on the hot side.
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