In July of 1951, Mr. Henry Cabot Broccoli found himself in the middle of post World War II China. As the executive operations manager of a booming pencil company, he had played an integral part in planning the company’s overseas expansion. Now Henry had been sent to Shanghai to oversee the operation as it came to fruition.
Henry was driven when it came to his job, but the past six months had been taxing. He was alone in an alien land where he struggled to communicate with the locals. With the exception of his translator, English speakers were very few and far between. Henry would often go days without uttering a word to anyone.
Henry Cabot Broccoli in Shanghai, circa 1951
It was one evening when Henry was taking his usual evening stroll through the Shanghai street market when he spotted her–Ms. Gai Lan. She was elegant. She was exotic. She spoke perfect English.
Calendar photo of Miss Gai Lan
The attraction between the two was undeniable. Sure, Henry had Mrs. Cabot Broccoli and three growing florets back home in Gary, Indiana. But he was so lonely. He had needs. He was only a piece of broccoli, after all.
A powerful and passionate affair followed for the next few weeks. Quite suddenly, however, Henry’s company called him back to the States. He thought he would never hear from Ms. Gai Lan again.
That was until he received a letter in the post some 9 months later. Ms. Gai Lan had given birth. There was no mistaking it, the child was definitely his.
How to Make Roasted Broccolini
Okay, so maybe it didn’t go down exactly like the story above…but broccolini is truly the byproduct of broccoli and gai lan (aka Chinese broccoli). It’s got an amazing, almost sweet flavor that needs little more that a light roasting to really shine.
Start by trimming the broccolini stems, then rinse and dry it well (a salad spinner comes in handy for this).
Divide the broccolini between two baking sheets. Drizzle some olive oil on top and season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat.
Roast in a preheated 425°F oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Transfer the broccolini to a plate and squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top before serving. Enjoy!
Roasted Broccolini
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccolini trimmed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- flaky sea salt
- black pepper
- lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Rinse the broccolini and dry it well. Divide it in a single layer on two baking sheets. Drizzle the olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Roast for 10-15 minutes until the broccolini is just tender.
- Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top before serving.
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