Why We Love White Sprouting Broccoli

Here at Farm Direct we like to call white sprouting broccoli Spring Asparagus and it should be cooked and treated in the same way. Like asparagus it has a very short growing season so don’t miss out!

White sprouting is tender and sweet. Cook it for even less time than you would cook purple sprouting broccoli – the smaller the stems the less time you need to cook them (between 3 – 5 minutes).

Try out white spouting broccoli using some of these recipes:

White Sprouting Broccoli with Poached Egg and Hollandaise Sauce

For the hollandaise
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
200 g unsalted butter, melted
smoked sea salt, to taste
For the poached egg
1 egg
100 ml white wine vinegar
For the broccoli
250 g white sprouting broccoli
To serve
smoked sea salt

For the hollandaise:
Whisk the egg yolks, vinegar and water together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Whisk continuously until the mixture starts to thicken.

Slowly drizzle in the melted butter, whisking continuously being careful not to let the mixture overheat, or the mixture will curdle. Season to taste.

For the poached egg: bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and add the vinegar. Carefully crack in the egg and poach gently for 3 minutes.

For the broccoli: blanch the broccoli in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes.
Put the broccoli on a serving plate, then the poached egg. Drizzle over the hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with a pinch of the smoked sea salt.

Steamed White Sprouting with orange zest and parsley sauce
by Nigel Slater

Serves 4
For the orange zest and parsley sauce:
3 egg yolks
200g melted butter
lemon juice the finely grated zest of a small orange
2 heaped tbsp crème fraîche
2 heaped tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
600g white sprouting broccoli

Put the egg yolks into a heatproof glass or china bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water. The bowl should snugly fit the pan without the water touching the bottom. Add the melted butter a little at a time as if you were making mayonnaise, beating all the time with a balloon whisk. Squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice and add a little salt.

Stir in the grated orange zest, crème fraîche and the chopped parsley. Turn off the heat, beating the sauce briefly every now and again to stop it separating.

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Put the sprouting into a steamer basket, or a colander. As the water boils, place the sprouting over the top and cover tightly with a lid.

Steam until tender to the point of a knife – a matter of 3 or 4 minutes - check regularly.

Remove from the heat, tip on to a warm serving dish (all the broccoli family goes cold quickly) and pour over the orange and parsley sauce.