Purple sprouting broccoli with olive oil mash recipe

I eat more purple sprouting broccoli than any other vegetable. There’s so much you can do with it and it can take strong flavours like these. If you’re serving friends who don’t like anchovies, you can leave them out, though they work really well with lamb. The greens can also be served on toasted bread with ricotta or mozzarella, or tossed with pasta.

Timings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Serves

Six to eight

Ingredients

For the mash

• 900g floury potatoes, halved or quartered

• 80ml milk, warm

• 35g butter

• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the broccoli

• 750g purple sprouting (or Tenderstem) broccoli, trimmed at the base

• 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed

• about 18 cured anchovies, drained of oil and chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, very finely sliced

• 1-2 red chillies, halved, deseeded and finely chopped

Method

1. Cover the potatoes with boiling water, season lightly and cook until tender. Drain and put the potatoes back over a low heat with the lid on. Let them ‘dry out’ for about four minutes. It makes a better mash.

2. Mash them and, if you want to be really fussy, put them through a potato ricer. Return them to the pan and slowly add the warm milk, then the butter and some seasoning. Beat in the olive oil. Transfer to a broad heated bowl, cover with foil and keep warm in a low oven.

3. Steam or microwave the broccoli until almost tender. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (or two pans to hold the broccoli, if you need to). Add the anchovies, garlic and chilli, and cook gently until the anchovies have melted into a purée and the garlic is pale gold.

4. Add the broccoli and toss it around until it’s covered with olive oil (add some more if you want to), then check the seasoning.

5. Serve this with the olive oil mash. They're delicious with roast leg of lamb.