I wanted to share with you the way I’m cooking vegetables right now, a blast of heat from the pan so that the flesh gets blistered and charred and a bit of steaming if the vegetable needs to cook longer. Then drop a couple of flavour bombs into the mix and you have vegetables that are super tasty and modern and ready to pop with flavor.
The principle being that many vegetables that you would eat raw can be charred in a very hot pan with just a drop of olive oil. Vegetables that need longer cooking, hit with a blast of heat until they char, then add some water and cover the pan until they steam to tender perfection. While the vegetables are still hot add flavors that will further enhance the ‘charry-ness’ you have added. Feel free to add, swap or go off on your own tangent from the recipe below.
The pickled radishes here just add an additional hit of color and pickly brightness to the dish, but if this isn’t your thing, leave it out.
*If using a small pan, do this in batches, as overcrowding the pan will cause the vegetables to steam rather than char.
**Don’t forget to put on your extractor fan, open the windows, and so on – as this recipe if you are doing it right will create a lot of smoke!
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 300g mixed baby radishes, trimmed, larger ones cut in half
- 400g sugar snap peas
- 400g tender stem broccoli (broccolini)
- Kosher salt to taste
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
- Flakey sea salt to taste
For Pickled radishes:
- 1 watermelon radish, peeled and sliced very thin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Heat a heavy-bottomed saute pan or frying pan (that has a lid) over high heat. Add ½ tablespoon olive oil and once hot add the radishes and saute, stirring occasionally until they are blistered and turn golden brown. Remove to a serving dish and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- If the pan needs more oil add another ½ tablespoon of olive oil and add the sugar snap peas and saute, stirring occasionally until they have brown blisters and turn bright green. Once tender enough for your liking, add to the serving dish along with the radishes and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- If the pan needs more oil add another ½ tablespoon of olive oil and add the tender stem broccoli and saute, stirring occasionally until they have brown blisters and turn bright green. Add a ½ cup water to the pan, lower the heat to medium-high and cover the pan, cook for 3-4 minutes until tender enough to eat. Remove from the pan and add the serving dish along with the radishes and sugar snap peas, sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- Immediately add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and capers (if using) and toss along with the vegetables, taste for seasoning, and finish off with flakey sea salt.
- Serve warm or room temperature, can be made up to 6 hours before serving, keep at room temperature until serving, do not reheat.
For pickled rashes:
- Toss the thinly sliced radishes with sugar and white wine vinegar and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
