Garlicky Butter Bath Broccoli and Cauliflower

published about 2 hours ago

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman | Food Stylist: Pearl Jones

Broccoli and cauliflower are two of my go-to vegetables for dinner sides — my whole family loves them. But as the family cook, I quickly get bored with our bi-weekly rotation of roasted broccoli or mashed cauliflower. Boiling these two cruciferous vegetables in a garlicky butter bath is my number-one way to love and appreciate them.

I was first introduced to butter bath cooking for corn on the cob . It makes even the best sweet summer corn impossibly better, so just imagine what it can do for basic broccoli and cauliflower (even the pre-cut bagged stuff!). Garlicky butter bath broccoli and cauliflower is going to make you fall back in love with these dinner staples.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Pearl Jones

This Butter Boiled Broccoli and Cauliflower Is Anything but Boring

Boiled and steamed vegetables get a bad rap for being too tender and flavorless, but butter bath boiling changes all that. Essentially you’re making a milk and butter broth to cook vegetables in. Add in your favorite spices or aromatics — here, a ton of minced garlic — and the vegetables are infused with robust, unbeatable flavor.

The key to making truly delicious butter bath broccoli and cauliflower is to make sure you don’t overcook it. One-inch florets, like the kind you might find pre-cut in the produce section, take less than 10 minutes to cook. Be sure to test them before draining — a fork should easily pierce their woody stems. Speaking of draining, save a little butter bath. You can serve that garlicky elixir as a sauce for the vegetables.

More butter bath veggie ideas we love: 5 Vegetables You Can Cook in a Butter Bath

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