The Old Spaghetti Factory serves a delicious side
dish of broccoli with mizithra cheese. I've tried to
backwards-engineer it before, without much success.
The last time I went, a friend who just happens to be
a chef tasted it and suggested Parmesan cheese as a
close match. I tried it, and he was right.
What you'll need:
- broccoli florets
- olive oil
- grated Parmesan cheese - actual grated cheese,
not the kind that comes in shakers
- hot water
I don't have any amounts listed, because this is
one of those recipes that it's easy to judge by
eye. Start out by heating a deep pan over medium heat.
When it's hot pour in a tablespoon or two of olive
oil. Add in the broccoli florets, and stir them around
well so they get a thin coating of olive oil, just enough
to darken the leaflike part. If you need to add more
olive oil, do so. Cover and let cook, stirring it every
few minutes to prevent burning. When it turns bright
green, pour in about 1/3 cup of hot water, cover, and
let it steam. Stir it around every few minutes. After
10 minutes start testing it with a fork. It's done
when it reaches the degree of softness you prefer. If
the water boils out before the broccoli softens enough,
pour in some more.
Take off the heat and keep covered until you're ready
to serve. When you serve, sprinkle Parmesan cheese liberally
over the hot broccoli as soon as you put it on the plate.
I like to cover this with a lid for a minute or two
to make sure the cheese melts enough to stick to the
broccoli.
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