The Countertop Oven Class

Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

You might have a habit of roasting trays of vegetables in the winter. Keep it up. Those root vegetables are hearty and delightful to have in the refrigerator any time you want. However, if you want a cooking method that brings you crunch and bright greens in the midst of winter, broil some broccolini. Broiling uses high heat to cook vegetables faster than roasting can. Roasting broccolini means the stems of the vegetable are soft by the time the florets are charred. Sweet potato? Roast. Anything green? Broil. Put broccolini under the broiler with a good seasoning of salt and a hit of lemon and you’ll have a full green experience. The end result has the sensory experience of crunching on potato chips. This is the way to eat your vegetables. We think you will love this technique and the final dish that showcases the broccolini. But this simple recipe is only the template. Chop up the broccolini and use it as part of a quinoa salad or a take on the familiar broccoli salad with raisins, red onions, and sunflower seeds offered at your local coop. As soon as the broccolini comes out from under the broiler, drizzle it with tahini, black sesame seeds, and lots of fresh herbs.Time to turn on the broiler.

Blackened Broccolini