If you anything like me, you & # 39; ve probably bought purple sprouting broccoli because you were attracted to the contrasting colors.
No doubt then, disappointment took over when those purple heads swiftly turned dark green during cooking, making it look pretty much the same as ordinary broccoli.
So one rainy afternoon I decided to don my & # 39; Heston Blumenthal & # 39; science coat to see what can be done about keeping those purple florets nice and purple.
I had a notification vinegar held the answer.
If you 'll know it is amazing things to the color. For the uninitiated, red cabbage changes from washed out mauve to psychedelic purple .
Heavens! It makes you wonder what vinegar could do to hair !!!
This is because the stems are far denser and need longer cooking time. So what to do?
But the problem with this is, the end result does not look so appealing.
The best way to cook tender stem broccoli is to do it standing up. The broccoli that is, not you!
So what you do, is bunch the stems together, tie with string or an elastic band just underneath the florets and immerse them in a deep narrow pan full of boiling salted water.
Then cover with a tight fitting lid and boil very briefly - two minutes is all it takes.
The next step is to get a bowl of very cold water ready so you can plunge the broccoli into it to stop further cooking.
Next up, pour a splash of vinegar into a small heat and. Place grab the broccoli, shake off the water and dip the florets into the hot vinegar, rolling them around to coated and - hey presto - they return back to purple!
However, the florets will taste vinegary. So what you do next return is to them bowl of cold water and make a quick sugar syrup.
Throw out any remaining vinegar in the pan and replace with equal quantities of sugar and water - a tablespoon of each should do it and dissolve over a high heat.
Shake well, then stick in the fridge in an airtight container until you & # 39; re ready to serve. When it comes to serving, either it is serving, either reheat in the microwave or toss in a little hot water and butter over a high heat. Voila! Job done.
Yes if it is on the regular basis. But if you & # 39; re entertaining in style and want to show off your culinary expertise, this is the time to do it.
