Grilled Broccolini with Lemon and Parmesan
I think this is my first time ever cooking broccolini. I'm not quite sure why that is when I like to make broccoli fairly regularly and use gai lan (Chinese broccoli) in dishes often as well, and broccolini is a hybrid of the two, so it would seem to be right up my ally. I actually had a plan to make a regular broccoli side the day I cooked this up, but when I went to the grocery store I saw the broccolini and figured that I might as well give it whirl, plus it had the added benefit of potentially coming out on the other side as a recipe I could share with all you Meatwavers. And that is exactly what happened when I married the common combo of lemon and parmesan with grilled broccolini to make a quick, easy, and quite tasty side.
Once I had a couple bunches of broccolini at home and began prepping them, I was even more dumbfounded why I haven't bought them before—their long stems make them much better suited for grilling that standard broccoli, which I inevitably end up losing some small florets to the fire as the slip through the grates. Prep was even easier than standard broccoli too, for the broccolini I merely washed them and then cut off the thicker and tougher last inch or so of the stalks and was done.
I then got the veggie ready for grilling by tossing it with oil and seasoning with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. The long length of the stalks made this proposition easier to accomplish in a sheet pan rather than the usual bowl.
Out at the grill I was posed with a question as a new broccolini griller: would a hot fire over-char the florets before the stalks were tender? I worried that might be the case, so I waved my hand around the fire to gauge the heat and then positioned the stalks so they would be closer to a hotter zone while the florets rested over more moderate heat. I then let the broccolini cook, moving them around occasionally, waiting for them be feel crisp-tender.
That mark was hit at seven minutes with my fire, and I was really pleased with how both the stalks and tops both picked up attractive charring without becoming burned. I then wasted no time plating them up, squeezing on a little lemon juice, and grating on fresh parmesan.
One thing I never considered when choosing broccolini over broccoli is the flavor. While the two are pretty close, some folks feel like broccoli is bit too bitter, but I'd find it hard to imagine the same being felt of broccolini, which was more mild and neutral. Those characteristics made the lemon and parmesan more prominent and important in this side compared to other things I use the pairing on, like asparagus. It also made the unique stamp of the grill felt more, with the blistered and charred skin adding a lot of character to the stalks that made it taste especially fitting alongside the grilled main it was served with. On top of all that, it was also a welcomed light and fresh dish, very apt for the start of the summer heat that's just now settling in.
