Vegetable
Broccoli
BrócoliBròquilBrassica oleracea var. italica
It's a bunch of unopened flowers: leave it too long in the fridge and it yellows because it's starting to bloom. Peeled, the stalk is the sweetest part.
When
Around: Oct–Apr · At its best: Nov–Feb
Around: Oct–Apr · At its best: Nov–Feb
Around: Apr–Oct · At its best: May–Aug
Around here
Spain is one of Europe's big broccoli growers, mainly Murcia and Navarre, and much of it is exported. In Catalonia it's a recent arrival in the kitchen with no traditional dish of its own, but from autumn to spring you'll find it at markets from the Baix Llobregat and nearby growers.
At the market
- Dark, even green florets (purple tinges are fine), packed tight.
- No yellow specks: it's on the turn.
- A firm stalk with a moist cut end; if it's hollow or dry, pick another.
- It should smell green, not like boiled cabbage.
At home
- In the fridge, unwashed, in an open bag: 3-5 days.
- A trick: stand the stalk in a glass with a couple of centimetres of water, like a bouquet, in the fridge.
- Wash it just before using; moisture makes it spoil sooner.
If you have too much
- In florets, blanched 2-3 minutes, chilled in iced water and frozen: up to a year.
- Broccoli soup, which freezes well in portions.
- Pesto: blanch for a minute and blitz with garlic, nuts, cheese and oil.
- Peeled stalks cut into sticks make a quick pickle with vinegar and salt.
In the kitchen
- Raw stalk, peeled and thinly sliced, with salt and lemon.
- Roasted in a very hot oven until the tips char.
- Stir-fried with garlic, chilli and anchovies.
- With pasta: boiled alongside it and broken down with oil and cheese.
- In an omelette or scrambled eggs.
- Steamed for just four minutes, with good olive oil.
What it brings
Per 100 g, raw.
- Energy
- 34 kcal
- Water
- 89% water
- Carbs
- 6.6 g
- Sugars
- 1.7 g
- Fibre
- 2.6 g
- Protein
- 2.8 g
Stands out for
- High in vitamin K101.6 µg · 135% of what you need in a day
- High in vitamin C89.2 mg · 112% of what you need in a day
- High in folate63 µg · 32% of what you need in a day
- Source of potassium316 mg · 16% of what you need in a day
Data from the USDA (FoodData Central). See the full table ↗ · How we decide what stands out
Goes with
- CauliflowerOct–MarWhat you eat is a mass of flowers that never got round to opening. Its bad name comes from the smell of overboiling it; roasted, it's a different vegetable.
- OrangeNov–MayOranges don't ripen once picked: what you buy is what you get. So it pays to know how to choose them.
- LeekOct–MarAn onion that never forms a bulb and tastes milder. The white part comes from earthing it up as it grows: the higher the soil, the longer the white.