Broccoli With Anchovies and Garlic

By Pierre Franey

Broccoli With Anchovies and Garlic
Michael Kraus for The New York Times
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(1,000)
Comments
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Admit it. Broccoli, that ubiquitous vegetable side dish, gets old. This take, which Pierre Franey brought to The Times in 1987 as part of his 60-Minute Gourmet column, will not. It is not much different – and no more difficult – than your standard broccoli sauté except for the addition of anchovies. If that word normally frightens you, fear not. Here, they are barely detectable as such, but provide a complex salinity that salt alone cannot. You'll never eat boring broccoli again.

Featured in: 60-MINUTE GOURMET

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1bunch of broccoli, about 1¼ pounds
  • Salt to taste
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • 1teaspoon finely minced garlic
  • ¼teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
  • 1teaspoon anchovy paste or 4 anchovies, smashed into a paste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

144 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 381 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut off the broccoli tops into individual florets. Cut the stems crosswise into 2-inch lengths. Trim off the outside of the stems and cut the trimmed pieces diagonally into ¼-inch slices. There should be about 6 cups in all.

  2. Step 2

    Bring enough water to a boil to cover the broccoli when it is added. Add salt and the broccoli pieces and cook 3 minutes. Drain.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oil in a skillet and add the broccoli pieces. Cook, stirring, over relatively high heat, and add the garlic, pepper flakes and anchovy paste. Cook, tossing and stirring the ingredients together, about 1 minute. Serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,000 user ratings
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Comments

Catherine

To make this a little more modern, I skipped the parboil and instead charred the broccoli in a large sauté pan in olive oil and red pepper flakes, then pushed it aside and cooked the anchovy and garlic in a little extra olive oil for 3 mins, then added a few splashes of water, mixed it all up, covered it, and steamed till tender, adding another splash or two of water as needed. Didn't need any salt beyond the anchovies. No need to pre-mash the anchovies; they disintegrate while cooking.

Gabriele

Some italian tradition: put the broccoli and a little water in a large pan, cover and cook 5 minutes. Then the water should be evaporated, if not, take the lid off and cook a little more.
Add extravirgin olive oil and a garlic clove, slighltly smashed. Take clove off when begins to get brown.
Add whole anchovies, smash them in pan. Fry gently just a few minutes.
Pour the boiled pasta in the warm broccoli pan, add parmesan, pecorino. Add little pasta cooking water if too dry. Stir well.

Tim

We have this 3-4 times a week
It is the only way my kids will eat broccoli and green beans.
they will finish this before they eat the pasta on their plate.

I put the oil,garlic and anchoivy paste in first and then toss in the veggies once it has sauted a minute. I think it mixes better

Beldar

I served this at a dinner party to folks who don’t like anchovies. They loved it. After it was all gone I revealed the ingredient. If I had told them before hand, they would not have eaten it.

Avery

It was good as specified, but I wish I'd read some of the comments before making it. Sautéing the garlic and anchovies a little before adding the broccoli makes more sense to me. In any case my wife and I both enjoyed it, because, ya, broccoli gets old without some variation. I'll definitely make it again, with some input from the comments.

Wok Don't Run

There's simply nothing wrong with this. Makes broccoli into something lively instead of a nutritional chore.

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