Char-Grilled Broccoli With Chili And Garlic

This is my favorite broccoli recipe. Char-grilling the broccoli seems to make the flavor more intense and the addition of garlic, chilies, lemon and almonds lend a crave-worthy blend of savory, spicy, tangy and salty flavors. 

1 head of broccoli {about 250 grams}

55 ml olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 mild red chili, thinly sliced {I like to spice up this dish so I used 2 red jalapenos}

coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

toasted chopped almonds {I used Marcona almonds}

thin slices of lemon, skin on, seeds removed

Separate broccoli from large stems.  Cut florets leaving some stems attached. Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil.  Add broccoli florets to the water and boil for 2 minutes. While the broccoli is cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water.  Transfer the broccoli to the bowl of ice water using a slotted spoon.  Drain broccoli and let dry completely. In a bowl, toss broccoli with about 20 ml of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Grill the broccoli using a ridged griddle pan over high heat or by using an indoor, electric grill {similar to a panini press}. Grill until you get some nice char marks.

While grilling the broccoli, place the remaining oil in a non-stick skillet and heat over medium. Add garlic and chilies and cook until garlic just begins to turn golden.  Stir occasionally and be sure to remove from heat before the garlic turns dark brown. Add the broccoli to the skillet and stir to combine. Garnish with almonds and/or lemon slices.

Source:  Adapted from Ottolenghi (this is a half recipe}