Charred Broccolini With Green Goddess Aioli And Crispy Grains
Specifically designed by Chef Scott Nishiyama to pair with animé rosé of Pinot Noir
I love Green Goddess Dressing! It’s really just a much more interesting Caesar dressing, packed with herbal notes from the addition of fresh tarragon, chervil, chives, and parsley. It’s a very versatile condiment that goes with almost any vegetable, but I especially like it with broccolini and green asparagus. If you have difficulties finding broccolini, regular broccoli works just as well.
Serves 4
Total Time: 3 hours
Active Time: 1 hour
(dehydrator needed for the crispy grains)
Ingredients
- 2 bunches broccolini
- 1 c kosher salt
- ½ c quinoa
- ½ c millet
- ½ c parsley leaves
- 2 T tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 T chervil leaves, roughly chopped
- 3 T chives, chopped
- 2 anchovy filets
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 t Dijon mustard
- 3 T fresh lemon juice
- 1 T champagne vinegar
- ½ c canola or vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
Steps
Preparing Broccolini
In a large pot, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil. Add 1 cup of kosher salt to the water. Also have a bowl of ice water ready next to the pot. Clean the bottom leaves of the broccolini, keeping the top florets, so you have a large floret and a long stem. Cut ¼ inch of the woody ends off. When the salted water is boiling, add the broccolini, and allow it to cook until it is just beginning to become tender, but still has a bit of bite. Transfer the broccolini to the ice water to stop it from cooking. Allow it to sit in the ice water until it is completely cool. Remove and dry the broccolini thoroughly with a towel. Reserve.
Preparing Grains
Cook the quinoa and millet separately in 1 cup of water and ½ teaspoon salt (for each) until the water is completely absorbed. Allow to cool. Spread each grain separately onto a dehydrating tray, trying to create a single even layer. Dehydrate at 135°F for about 2 hours, or when the grains feel very dry, hard, and separate easily. Rub the grains in your fingers to separate them into individual grains as much as possible. Heat 2 cups of canola oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 300°F. Place each dried grain in the oil separately. It will sputter immediately, as the residual water in each grain turns to steam. Cook until the bubbling stops. Quickly remove the grains onto a paper towel-lined platter and season with salt. Allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Green Goddess Aioli
For the Green Goddess aioli, place the anchovy, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, and champagne vinegar in a food processor or blender. Blend until everything is homogenous. With the blender running on low, slowly drizzle the canola oil into the blender. If the resulting aioli is still thin, add more canola oil one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Add the herbs and continue to blend until the mixture is a homogenous green. Season with salt and pepper.
Grilling Broccolini
Dress the broccolini with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill the broccolini on a very hot grill just to get a little bit of char. Don’t leave it on the grill too long, as we are just trying to create a bit of char and not cook it further.
Plating
Place a few dollops of Green Goddess aioli on a plate. Toss the broccolini with a few tablespoons of crispy grains and arrange on the plate. Serve immediately with a glass of animé rosé of Pinot Noir.