Broccoli au Beurre et à la Crème

Broccoli finished with brown butter, cream, and nutmeg in the French court tradition

Origin: Paris, Kingdom of France

From the journey of Broccoli.

When Catherine de' Medici married Henry II of France in 1533, she is credited with introducing broccoli (among other Italian vegetables) to the French court at Paris. The French preparation, predictably, enriched the Italian vegetable with the tools of French haute cuisine: beurre noisette (brown butter), cream, and freshly grated nutmeg. This simple preparation transforms broccoli into a refined accompaniment to roasted meats and fish, quite different from the spare olive-oil preparations of southern Italy from which it originated.

Ingredients

  • 600 g broccoli, cut into florets
  • 60 g unsalted butter
  • 80 ml double cream
  • nutmeg, freshly grated
  • salt
  • white pepper
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Steam or blanch the broccoli florets until just tender, 4–5 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
  2. In a wide pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat, swirling the pan continuously. The butter will foam, then the foam will subside, and the milk solids will turn golden-brown with a nutty aroma. This is beurre noisette: remove from heat immediately when it reaches this stage.
  3. Remove from heat for 30 seconds, then add the cream carefully: it will spit. Return to low heat and stir gently to combine into a smooth sauce.
  4. Add the broccoli to the pan and toss gently to coat. Season with salt, white pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.
  5. Finish with a small squeeze of lemon juice to cut through the richness. Serve immediately.

Notes

White pepper rather than black is traditional in French court preparations: it provides heat without visible specks in the pale cream sauce.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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