Blanching is an easy method for cooking broccoli in boiling water. This technique ensures the broccoli reaches the perfect texture and doneness by boiling it for a specific duration, then halting the cooking process by transferring it into cold water, sometimes even ice-cold water. This approach prevents the broccoli from becoming overcooked.
Ingredients and equipment
3 cups of broccoli (or the desired amount)
A large bowl with cold water or ice water
Steps
Fill a14-inch stainless steel wok or a pot with water up to about 30% of its capacity.
Heat the water until it boils.
Place the broccoli into the boiling water.
Cook the broccoli for approximately 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the preferred texture and doneness.
Once the broccoli reaches the desired texture, use a spider strainer to move them to a bowl of cold or ice-cold water.
Allow the broccoli to sit in the cold water for around 3 minutes.
Drain the water.
Move the broccoli to a storage container.
Add the broccoli to a wok at the end of the stir-frying process.
Helpful Tips
To attain the bright green hue of broccoli, use ice-cold water.
Blanch the broccoli until it's about 90% cooked to the desired texture; the rest of the cooking will occur when it's added to the wok during the final stir-frying stages.
It's ideal to use the blanched broccoli on the same day.
Blanching can be done one to two days in advance before using it in stir-frying, though with a slight decrease in quality.
Optimal results are achieved when vegetables are cut to the size needed for a stir-fry dish.
Blanching broccoli is typically unnecessary for most stir-fry recipes. However, it does offer better control over the doneness of the broccoli and helps maintain its vibrant green color.
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