BY MYRA KOHN



When it comes to great fried chicken, some of the best in town happens to be Spring Hill’s fried chicken dinner for four. The dinner, which includes two whole chickens and four sides, requires reserving a table for four ($80 per table) and the patience to wait for a Monday Night Supper when they can fit you in, as these dinners sell out weeks in advance. Until very recently, one of the side dishes Chef Mark Fuller was serving with the chicken was Caramelized Broccoli; it was one of the first recipes requested for this column.

It is a breeze to prepare, but don’t let that fool you, this is no boring broccoli. The florets are lightly and simply seasoned, roasted in the oven and finished on the stove top. The caramelized edges are crisp and almost sweet, and while they might look a bit burnt, they are not. The caramelizing step lends a nutty flavor and the hint of lemony tartness will have you going for seconds (I can see kids loving this vegetable). We served it with grilled Rain Shadow steaks and local baby Yukon potatoes, which we roasted whole.

Caramelized Broccoli

Recipe courtesy Spring Hill Restaurant
2-4 Servings | Start to finish: 25 minutes
From Edible Seattle November/December 2010

2 heads broccoli (1 ½ pound), cut into florets
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil (2 ½ ounces)
1/2 ounce lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the first 3 ingredients together with 2 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place on a roasting rack and roast for 10-12 minutes (8 minutes in a convection oven). Cool to room temperature.

Pour the remaining olive oil into a 9 inch sauté pan over high heat.  Bring the oil to its smoking point and then let the pan get a little hotter. Place the broccoli in the hot pan and do not move around the pan; allow the broccoli to caramelize.

Once one side is caramelized, stir the broccoli and try to caramelize the other sides.

Remove from the heat and squeeze half a lemon over the broccoli. Mix well. Serve immediately.

Myra’s notes: Based on testing, this recipe serves two. It was so delicious we played rock, paper, scissors for the last floret. I’ll be doubling the recipe next time.

*vegan
*gluten-free


Find more from Myra at seattlebonvivant.typepad.com.