My Brocoli Rabe was bitter
We are on a quest to try new vegetables and the other night we made brocoli rabe. It was terribly bitter. Did I overcook it or is this the standard? We boiled it in water for a couple of minutes and then sauteed with olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic. I would say it could have been the garlic but it was not burned. Does anyone know about this bitterness?
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12 Comments:
I find rabe to always turn out bitter. I want to like it, I really do... it just doesn't do it for me.
jpolk at 10:57AM on 11/12/08
By definition broccoli rabe is bitter. I guess it depends on your bitter tollerence it seems more nutty than bitter to me. I usually skip the blanching and just saute it in oil with garlic and crushed hot pepper.
VerasTastyFreeze at 10:59AM on 11/12/08
Broccoli rabe isnt in high season right now, but regardless, it always stands for a good blanch in salted water, then shocked and then cooked however afterwards. Its just one of those bitter things.
ChelleyD01 at 11:14AM on 11/12/08
YEAH, THAT IS THE TASTE, DELICIOUSLY BITTER! It is an aquired taste, I grew up eating it so I love it, but it did take my husband some getting used to ( he loves it now though).
thedish28 at 11:14AM on 11/12/08
The posters are correct...a bitter vegetable. Maybe not the one for you.
I love it on a bed of garlicky white beans.
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Karl Wilder at 1:33PM on 11/12/08
When I do blanch it (mostly I tend not to), I only do so for a minute, and then cook it down in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. The longer it's boiled, the more bitter it becomes.
Mares at 1:39PM on 11/12/08
I always do it in chicken or vegetable stock
pjracz10 at 4:08PM on 11/12/08
This is all really helpful. Thanks!!
katarina_santiago at 6:23PM on 11/12/08
it is supposed to be bitter, so i guess if you don't like bitter veggies, you should stay away from it. my favorite way to have it is with orrechiette and italian sausage. mmmmm.
carriebwc at 6:39PM on 11/12/08
Brocolli rabe is one of my faves...(I find myself posting about this an awful lot!)
It is pretty bitter...one thing that I find helps is adding a bit of chicken stock and a dash of white wine...(along with the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes)...then serve over pasta with grated parm.
The stock may cut a bit of the bitterness, but really, it's a bitter green, so expect it to be a bit bitter.
juliebugsmama at 1:01PM on 11/13/08
Yes, it's bitter. I counteract/contrast the bitterness by sauteeing it with pine nuts. I first chop the rabe, then steam until tender. (You can also blanche/boil, but I find it gets too wet.) Then I saute some chopped pine nuts in olive oil. Just as some of them are beginning to brown, I add minced garlic. Let it go a few more minutes, then add the rabe, stir, and heat through.
Dee at 12:35PM on 11/14/08
We love its bitterness. Usually we serve it sauteed with olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, a bit of water or chicken stock, salt, finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon. If you serve it along a rich pasta dish (carbonara or bolognese) its bitterness is a nice counterpoint.
Try making the orrechiette with italian sausage and broccoli rabe that an earlier commenter mentioned. It's one of those dishes where the ingredients just marry so well, it will likely make you a fan of rabe.
wookie at 12:54PM on 11/14/08