Purple sprouting broccoli with anchovies, garlic & lemon

Summary

In a world where everyone seems to cook their veg briefly so it’s vivid green and still crunchy, julius roberts likes to go the other way... pushing the broccoli around the pan for a little longer, until it begins to collapse slightly, absorbing all the flavour of the sweet shallots, umami-rich anchovies, fennel seeds and lemon. angela hartnett serves this recipe for nick grimshaw and guest siobhán mcsweeney on episode 4, season 5 of dish, the waitrose podcast. it’s served with slow-roast lamb shoulder with beer & carrots and potatoes dauphinoise. to drink, angela served the lamb and sides with no.1 viña lorea reserva rioja. discover all recipes prepared by angela hartnett on the dish podcast. dish is available on apple podcasts, spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Step by Step

Step 1

Set a small heavy-based pan on a medium-low heat. Pour in the oil and add the shallots, garlic, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the shallots from catching, until they are soft and translucent. Add the chopped rosemary and anchovies and gently warm through for a few minutes, then turn off the heat.

Step 2

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Halve any large broccoli florets lengthways, then tip the broccoli into the boiling water and gently simmer for 5 minutes until tender.

Step 3

Drain the broccoli and let it sit in the colander for a couple of minutes to ensure all the water has drained properly. Tip back into the pan and pour over the shallot mixture; toss together. Add the lemon juice and taste, adding more salt and/or chilli, if liked. To serve, tumble the broccoli onto a serving platter, sprinkle with a little more chilli and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.