broccoli rabe

webjockey

how do you choose it and cook it so that it's not so bitter? it almost ruined my dinner.

mazey

It can be so vile if it's too bitter! What you need to do is blanch it, drain it, then saute it. From what I have found, it's the only way to get rid of the bitterness.

You may also have to peel the lower stalks a little if they're tough, that way it's tender when it is cooked.

When I blanch it, I just plunge it for about 1 minute in boiling salted water. I tried steaming, them saute, but the bitterness was still there.

webjockey

thanks. I just steamed it and sprinkled a little salt and lemon juice on top and it was so overpowering. I bought quite a bit so I have time to practice.

ceebeeteecurlee

Broccoli Rabe is a bitter vegetable, that's the taste, so~~ you need to get used to it. I grew to like it because my husband's family eats it all the time. I make a homemade pizza, (dough, sauce everything homemade) then I simmer the rabe till cooked. Drain, saute' a ton of fresh garlic in a pan, add a good amount of olive oil and lightly cook the garlic till soft. Add the cooked rabe, squeeze with fresh lemon and put a bit of crushed red pepper on it, and don't forget to put some crushed red pepper on the pizza too~~ serve as a side dish to the pizza.
On a different note, have you tried Arugula? It is a green that is used fresh very often in salads, sometimes cooked in a fresh tomato sauce...It has great flavor, esp in a salad, with just a tiny peppery bite. I love it best fresh.
HTH
Cee

[ July 30, 2003: Message edited by: ceebeeteecurlee ]