Ottolenghi’s Grilled Broccoli with Garlic and Red Chile

I saw a beautiful head of broccoli and a nice big red chili at the Old Saybrook Farmers Market on Saturday:

I knew I had to have them and what I would make from them, the most popular dish at the Ottolenghi restaurant on Upper Street in Islington, London, walking distance from my daughter’s flat…

…which is Grilled Broccoli with Garlic and Chile.  Simple to make from the four ingredients pictured above: broccoli, garlic, red chile and olive oil.  Here’s how:  you cut the broccoli into florets, put them in a large pot of boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer them quickly with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander, drain well, dry with paper towels, toss in a bowl with olive oil, then grill on a very hot grill (I use the grill side of my panini press, laid flat, with the temp cranked up to 450F) until there are nice char marks on all sides, then transfer to a serving platter.  Slice some red chile and several cloves of garlic and sautee in olive oil over moderate heat for a couple minutes until just starting to brown.  Pour garlic, chile and olive oil over the broccoli.  Garnish with sliced lemons and some sliced almonds toasted in the the same pan as the garlic and chile (there will be a little residual oil in the pan).

It helps to have one of these…

…but a grill pan will work too.  Or you could do it on a gas grill or a charcoal grill.  If you do it on the latter, be careful not to overcook it.

Here’s what the finished dish looks like:

It’s awesome.  Trust me.  You will probably never eat broccoli any other way again.