Also known as brocoletti di rape, rape and rapini in Italian and cultivar in Chinese, raab is a leafy, long-stalked green vegetable dotted with miniature broccoliesque buds.
Related to the turnip and the cabbage, broccoli raab (sometimes spelled rabe) has an intense, nutty, bitter flavor which the Italians love and Americans have largely left to farm animals. Chinese cultivar is lighter in color, more tender, and generally lacks the bitterness of western raab.
Recipe: Braised Broccoli Raab
Recipe: Orecchiette With Broccoli Raab And Parmesan
First, trim the ends from the broccoli raab stems.
Next, slice on the bias. Bias cuts give each piece a larger surface area for more even cooking.
Cut leaves straight across.
One-inch pieces are the perfect size for most recipes.
What does it mean to shock a green vegetable?
What does it mean to shock a green vegetable?
A green vegetable is shocked after blanching by throwing it into an ice bath (cold water with ice cubes added) to stop the cooking process.
This ensures that your broccoli, broccoli raab, spinach or green beans will stay crisp and also keeps them bright green. As soon as your shocked vegetables have cooled, remove them from the bath so they don't absorb excess water and let them dry off or place them on a kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture.
The term "refresh" is also used as a synonym for this process, but shocking is a more accurate term.
What's the difference between broccoli and broccoli raab?
What's the difference between broccoli and broccoli raab?
Along with cabbages, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, broccoli raab and broccoli are in the brassica family. They look like modified versions of one another -- broccoli with its thick, branching stems, large florets and few leaves, and broccoli raab with its long, thin, uniform stems, small florets and pronounced leaves.
Both have a similar green vegetal flavor, but broccoli raab is bitter -- surprisingly so to the uninitiated -- while broccoli raab tends more toward the sweet. Despite that main difference, each works pretty well in place of the other whether in classic Italian pastas, soups, stews, simply steamed or sautéed alone with a splash of lemon or vinegar and olive oil.
Both pair especially well with pork and sausages, raisins, pine nuts, bell peppers and just about any kind of cheese -- especially ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella.
Calzones are easy to prepare at home. While having a pizza or bread stone certainly helps to make a crisp crust, you can bake calzones on a heavy sheet pan with great results.
Start with the best pizza dough you can find, or make some yourself.
Using approximately 6 ounces of dough per calzone results in a good shape and serving size; since the vast majority of pizza shops use 12-ounce balls of dough per pizza, it's also an easy weight to find. Making your own dough can be rewarding, but it's simpler to buy some from a local pizza place or market for a few dollars.
Flatten out the half-ball of dough into a rough oval. It's more important that the dough be stretched to an even thickness than be a uniform shape, since you are going to fold it over and crimp the edges to seal it.
Start your calzones off with a base layer of cheese; fresh ricotta is shown here. The cheese makes a good bed for the rest of the ingredients.
Distribute the calzone fillings of your choice evenly over the cheese, avoiding the urge to overstuff. The calzone will puff up during baking and a large mound of ingredients could cause the dough to split and break. Make sure to leave an appropriate border around the edge for crimping -- about 1 1/2-inches of untopped dough.
Fold, pull and gently stretch the top of the dough oval to cover the ingredients. Lightly press the edges together and prepare to crimp. A few dabs of water may help if your dough feels dry to the touch.
Start to crimp from one edge, gently rolling the dough over your finger and pressing in firmly. The dough will adhere to itself and create a decorative finish as you crimp around the edge.
Not only does the finished edge look nice, but it's firmly closed around the filling and will keep the calzone together as it rises and bakes.
Cutting a series of small vents into the top of the calzone will let steam from the filling to escape, preventing an explosion in your preheated 500F oven.
A light sprinkling of coarse cornmeal helps prevent the calzone from sticking to the pizza peel and baking stone as well as lending a slight crunch to the crust. If you do not have a baking stone, a preheated baking sheet covered with parchment paper works well to create a nice crust on calzones and pizzas.
Wait a few minutes for your baked calzones to cool down and serve with a side of tomato sauce if you'd like.
When choosing broccoli raab at the grocery store or farmers market, be sure to examine its three main parts: stems, leaves and florets.
All three should be a pretty, deep green color with no yellow, brown or black spots (though the tiny yellow flowers that sometimes appear on the florets are fine -- and edible).
The stems of the broccoli raab should be firm, its leaves healthy-looking -- not wilted or slimy -- and its florets compact and firm.
Like any vegetable, broccoli raab will keep longer in the refrigerator unwashed until you're ready to use it.
Stored properly, broccoli raab will keep for about a week in a plastic bag. If your broccoli raab is damp, whether from the farm or store or because you've already washed it, you can line the plastic bag with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to absorb condensation.
It's also a good idea to remove any ties holding the stems together to help moisture wick away.
what you should know
A sexy alternative to plain old broccoli, raab is a dark and leafy green with a pungent bite.
While Broccoli raab, orrapini (as it is known in its native Italy), immigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s, Americans have been slow to embrace its bitter charms.
family matters Both broccoli and broccoli raab belong to the brassica family, which also includes cabbage,Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Despite its resemblance to broccoli, raab is thought to have descended from another brassica, the turnip.
bittersweet The bitterness of broccoli raab can be tempered by blanching and shocking the greens before using them; a nice slow braise sweetens the stalks.
winter green Broccoli raab is at its best from autumn to spring. When choosing broccoli raab, look for firm, deep green stems. The leaves and florets should have no yellow, brown or black spots (though if the florets are studded with tiny yellow flowers, don't fear -- they're delicious). Store unwashed broccoli raab in a plastic bag for up to a week.
what you should know
Wash and dry broccoli raab (and other greens) with the help of organic cotton kitchen towelsor a time-saving OXO salad spinner.
Prepping broccoli raab is a snap with a stout cutting boardand a good bird's beak paring knife.
Nothing shows off your greens like a simple round serving bowl.
what you do
Broccoli raab makes pasta more exciting. Pair it with fusilli ororecchiette, or go with Sicilian-style sardines and rigatoni.
Healthy barley risotto with broccoli raab tastes creamy without having to add the cream.
Roasted, braised or sautéed with garlic and dressed with oil and vinegar, broccoli raab is one of our favorite simple vegetable dishes.
Swap broccoli raab for spinach in a homemade calzone with ricotta and parmesan.
Featured recipe: Broccoli raab meets sautéed potatoes and salty blue cheese in a hearty one-dish vegetarian meal.
