broccolini vinaigrette
Tuesday, 06 March 2007
broccolini vinaigrette tori ritchie Tuesday Recipe
Those skinny green “trees” you see in the produce section aren’t baby broccoli, they’re broccolini, a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese kale (you know they are outrageously good for you with that heritage). I like to toss them with oil and vinegar as an alternative to green salad whenever I’m at a loss for a side dish. You can grill them, too: just toss the raw spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place them right on the barbecue. Turn with tongs as they cook, but leave them on long enough to char at the tips (shout out to Clint Callan for teaching me how to do that).
serves 4 to 6 prep and cook time: 10 minutes
2 bunches broccolini
Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt or kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Trim very ends off the broccolini. Steam broccolini on a rack over boiling water until just tender, but still bright green, 5 to 7 minutes.

Put in a bowl and sprinkle with vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat everything, then serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: These just get better as they stand and absorb the vinaigrette; they’re even tasty the next day, although the vinegar will turn the broccolini drab green. Who cares; they’re still fantastic.