Broccoli parmesan crisps

You may remember from some weeks ago I included a recipe (and a rant) about broccoli cheese pasta.

It came about after a so-called friend tried to persuade me as to the life-giving properties within that well-known, packet-based pasta, ‘Broccoli ‘n’ Cheese.’

Anyways, my own version of broccoli and cheese pasta is a regular dish at home, consumed via big bowls and big smiles at least once a fortnight. I actually plan on having it more often than that but such are my scatter-brained tendencies, I am often side-tracked by notions and haverings with the result that head (or heads) of broccoli can be left in limbo in the fridge for a longer period than is preferable.

Now, if you’ve ever read this column before you’ll know that I hate food stuff going to waste. Incidentally, I don’t really buy into the whole best-before or use-by advice – meat being the one exception.

For example, if it says on the side of a jar of milk that it’s out of date on Nov 30, I’d be inclined to ignore that advice and go by my nose. The same goes for a loaf of bread: If the slices aren’t sporting new splotches of blue mould, at the very least, it’s grand for toasting.

Take for another example, a block of cheese, in this case, parmesan. On the back of the pack of one particular brand of parmesan which I habitually purchase, it says it has only a week of life in the fridge after it’s been opened. This I personally know to be a bag of the unmentionable as I’ve kept lumps of parmesan in the fridge for months, after the seal has been broken.

Take as yet another example a jar of wild honey. These jars usually have a best-before or use-by date on the side but yet again, this is erroneous because it is a scientific fact that unpasteurised wild honey NEVER goes bad.

Anyway, I digress… this is supposed to be another rant about broccoli.

Of those broccoli heads that I’ve kept in the fridge beyond their best-before date, I have stumbled onto a process that both uses up the broccoli florets and moreover, turns them into a very moreish snack.

As you can see from the photo(s), this is parmesan smashed broccoli, also known as crispy parmesan broccoli.

I find that these bad boys work as a magical amuse bouche (snack) alongside an aperitif on a Saturday evening. I was also quite amazed at how many of them I could put away, although that probably says more about me than it does about the snack itself.

Neither do you have to worry about them turning the best-before corner: There wasn’t a morsel remaining approximately one hour after they exited the oven.

INGREDIENTS

2 heads of broccoli, florets separated

Lots of grated parmesan, about 80 to 100g

onion salt

THE PLAN

This is dead easy, if a little time consuming.

Pre-heat the oven to 170C.

Next, blanch the florets in boiling water for three minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Lay a sheet of baking paper on a large oven proof tray and scatter on the grated parmesan. You want to cover the whole bottom with a generous layer.

Place each of the broccoli florets onto the parmesan and then squash down with a sturdy bowl or potato masher (I used a copper mug). Make sure you give them a good flattening.

Sprinkle on the onion salt, making sure each of the florets gets a dose and then retire the tray to the oven for about 15 or 20 minutes or until the parmesan is crisping around the edges.

Remove from the oven and cut out the individual florets using a pizza cutter.

Shamazming.

NOTE

I reckon I’m going to try this exact same method with brussels sprouts at Noel. I’ll keep you posted.

Over and oot!