Roast Broccoli at a Lower Temperature

Broccoli is an apprentice vegetable. Consistent and reliable, it does exactly what you ask it to do every time without needing too much pumping or an overly expensive cooking method. Stems can be cooked in many ways, most of which are pretty good, but sautéing provides the best balance of effort and reward, especially if you sear them slowly.

Until recently, I was completely dedicated to high temperature roasting, because I am a woman who loves crunchy pieces and craves all the flavors caused by the Maillard reaction . However, when roasting at 400℉ or higher, sometimes the fluffy ends start to burn before the stalk softens. I recently found a solution to this problem while reading this extensive broccoli document (short for “broccoli document”) by Food52, which extols the virtues of slower, more sensual roasting of broccoli. The broccoli document’s author promises that slow-roasting will produce tender stems with “concentrated flavor and lots of crunchy bits, almost like french fries.”

Excited about the French-style broccoli concept, I split the head into florets, mixed them with enough olive oil to cover (about 3 tablespoons), and heavily salted (a little over 1/4 teaspoon). I roasted it at 325℉ for about 45 minutes on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Then I ate half straight off the shelf while standing in the kitchen because that was the best. take the slow-roasted broccoli wherever you want, but it’s worth the wait.)

Comparing it to french fries is a bit of a stretch, but Food52 wasn’t kidding with either the concentrated flavor or the crunchy texture. The results of slow frying were very savory, with plenty of browning on both ends and perfectly tender crispy stalks.

More Tips for Broccoli Success

In addition to lowering the temperature and increasing the cooking time, there are three additional steps you can take to make your broccoli roast better.

First, lift it off the baking sheet while cooking on the wire rack . This increases airflow around the florets and allows the moisture released by the steaming vegetables to flow down and out, preventing the broccoli from getting soggy.

You will also want to use a little more oil than seems appropriate. Instead of sticking to a strict size, pour in just enough so that the florets look “wet” with oil. This maximizes the amount of crispy browned pieces and also maximizes the flavor.

Finally, try to keep the florets about the same size so that they finish roasting at about the same time. However, if you want a mixture of very dark and crunchy pieces and larger, juicier stems, then by all means experiment a bit with the size. Broccoli can be a journeyman, but even a journeyman deserves a little excitement from time to time.