Sauteed Potatoes with Broccoli Rabe

  

Sauteed Potatoes with Broccoli Rabe. Have you ever bought something at the grocery store because you were attracted to its color or unusualness.  Something which you have never tried before ?

And then, a day or so later you find yourself looking at it, thinking to yourself, what the heck am I going to do with this?  That's me. Often. I am the quintessential foodie, always wanting to try new things, often wondering afterwards, what was I thinking of!!

The last couple of weeks when I have gone shopping at the Super Store with my sister I have been noticing this broccoli rabe and thinking how lovely it looks.  To me, it looked very similar to Purple Sprouting Broccoli, except for the color. 

Purple sprouting broccoli is, well, purple in color, but changes to a bright dark green when it is cooked. It has a slightly sweeter taste than regular broccoli, with a nice hint of nuttiness, as well as a subtle earthy flavor, which makes it a good pairing with garlic, lemon and Parmesan cheese.

 

I bought the rabe and then when I got home did some research on what it tastes like so that I could know how to cook it. Oh boy  . . .  you can't get much further from purple sprouting broccoli when it comes to taste.  

Broccoli rabe is known to have a bitter taste.  The leaves hold a nutty earthiness and the stems hold a flavor similar to mustard greens.  The florets/buds are thought to taste more like broccoli florets.  

Quite a mixture.  What had I let myself in for? 

I did a search online to see if I could get some cooking inspiration for it. I found a recipe for Italian Style Sauteed Broccoli Rabe here on She Loves Biscotti.   It looked somewhat promising. 

I wondered it if might be somewhat similar to black cabbage or Cavolo Nero as it is also called.  I did some more research and found a delicious looking recipe for a potato and cabbage dish on the New York Times site.

I have enjoyed fried potatoes and cabbage in the past so I thought, this sounded very promising and I decided to go with it. I combined the best parts of both recipes and came up with Sauteed Potatoes with Broccoli Rabe!  I was very pleased with the end result! 👌

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SAUTEED POTATOES WITH BROCCOLI RABE

You actually don't need anything too far out of the ordinary except for the broccoli rabe itself. If you can't find that, feel free to substitute it with some other greens such as Kale, Collard or Mustard greens, all of which are great substitutes.

• 1 bunch Broccoli Rabe (about 1/2 pound/226g), washed and cleaned
• salt
• 2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs (680g) potatoes such as yellow or Yukon Golds, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 medium brown onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• grated Parmesan cheese to serve

 

I used baby new potatoes. I  thought they would fry up beautifully and they did.  I didn't bother to peel them. I just gave them a good scrub and dried them off. I cut them into 1/2 inch sized cubes.

The broccoli needed to be washed well, and then I chose to remove and discard any discolored leaves or stems. I also chose to cut off the ends of the stems, just in case they might be tough.  Never having had it before I wasn't quite sure.

Its up to you whether you choose to add the crushed pepper flakes or not. They can be quite spicy, so if you are unsure, err on the side of caution and only add a few, or none at all.

 

HOW TO MAKE SAUTEED POTATOES WITH BROCCOLI RABE

This was actually very easy to make. You can actually cook the broccoli itself ahead of time, which would really speed things up on the day.

To clean your broccoli, give it a good rinse under cold running water. Remove and discard any outer leaves that might be discolored or yellowing, keeping only the fresh green ones. Trim off the tough ends of the stems and discard.

You will need to blanche your broccoli rabe (rapini). Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop in the broccoli and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until tender.

Drain immediately and rinse under cold running water. Squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.

Heat the 2 TBS of olive oil in a large 12-inch non-stick skillet, over high heat. Once it is hot, add the potato cubes. (I don't bother to peel the potatoes.)

Turn the heat down to medium-high and pan sear the potatoes without stirring for about 5 minutes or so. Give them a good shake, season them with salt and pepper, and then add the onions.

 

Cook and stir in the pan for a further 5 to 8 minutes, until the onions have softened and the potatoes are just tender and golden brown. Stir in the garlic. cook, stirring for a further minute or two.

Toss in the broccoli and a good pinch of red pepper flakes (if using.) Toss everything together and heat the broccoli through.

Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

 

I was actually really pleased with the way this turned out. I don't think it could get much better, but then I think you could actually also add some chopped cooked bacon or ham to this and it would be even more fabulous!

This is a really wonderful side dish for 4 to 6 people.  I also think you could turn it into a delicious vegetarian main course for 3 to 4 people by adding a poached or fried egg to the top.  Now that does sound incredibly delicious, don't you think?

I am really pleased that I stretched myself out of my comfort zone and tried something new!

Some other tasty dishes in The English Kitchen that make great use of fresh summer produce are:

NOVA SCOTIA HODGE PODGE - This is a delicious dish composed of fresh new baby vegetables. It usually has baby carrots, small new potatoes, new green beans, baby peas, pearl onions, etc.  All served hot in a creamy buttery broth. Traditionally fried salt pork is also added, but you can use bacon.  If you want to keep it totally vegetarian however, leave that out.

SUMMER SALAD OF PEAS, BEANS & ASPARAGUS - A beautifully green summer salad filled with lots of crispy tender vegetables  Early beans, crisp asparagus, tender sweet peas.  All tossed together in a really delicious lemon and herb vinaigrette.  This truly is wonderfully tasty and makes a great side dish in the summer months.

Sauteed Potatoes with Broccoli Rabe

Yield: 4 - 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Crispy browned potatoes, sauteed with onion and garlic and tossed together with some broccoli rabe, and served hot, dusted with salty Parmesan Cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Broccoli Rabe (about 1/2 pound/226g), washed and cleaned
• salt
• 2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs (680g) potatoes such as yellow or Yukon Golds, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 medium brown onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Instructions

1. To clean your broccoli, give it a good rinse under cold running water. Remove and discard any outer leaves that might be discolored or yellowing, keeping only the fresh green ones. Trim off the tough ends of the stems and discard.
2. You will need to blanche your broccoli rabe (rapini). Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop in the broccoli and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until tender.
3. Drain immediately and rinse under cold running water. Squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.
4. Heat the 2 TBS of olive oil in a large 12-inch non-stick skillet, over high heat. Once it is hot, add the potato cubes. (I don't bother to peel the potatoes.)
5. Turn the heat down to medium-high and pan sear the potatoes without stirring for about 5 minutes or so. Give them a good shake, season them with salt and pepper, and then add the onions.
6. Cook and stir in the pan for a further 5 to 8 minutes, until the onions have softened and the potatoes are just tender and golden brown. Stir in the garlic. cook, stirring for a further minute or two.
7. Toss in the broccoli and a good pinch of red pepper flakes (if using.) Toss everything together and heat the broccoli through.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Notes

You can blanche the broccoli rabe ahead of time. It will keep in the refrigerator for three or four days.

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