Broccoli with Herbed Hollandaise Sauce

Here's another way to kick vegetables up a notch. And it's not just plain old Hollandaise. The herbs..especially the mint...give the sauce a wonderful bright freshness. With a spicy underpinning from the Tabasco. Lots going on here...

(Note that the recipe calls for roasting the broccoli. I steamed mine instead and still got wonderful results.)


(There is also a wonderful Hollandaise sauce mix available from Wolferman's if you want an easy way out.)


Broccoli with Herbed Hollandaise Sauce and Toasted Bread Crumbs
Serves four.
From Food & Wine.

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 slice sourdough bread (about 2 ounces), crust removed, bread torn into pieces (or 1/2 cup breadcrumbs...I always keep some in the freezer.)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds broccoli—peeled and cut lengthwise into long, thick florets
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon boiling water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Tabasco
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped mint
1/2 teaspoon coarsely chopped thyme

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Skim off the foam from the surface of the butter. Remove from the heat.

In a food processor, pulse the bread to coarse crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small cookie sheet, toss with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for about 2 minutes, until golden brown.

On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the broccoli in an even layer and roast for about 15 minutes, until just tender and starting to brown.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer. In a stainless steel bowl, mix the egg yolks with the tablespoon of boiling water. Set the bowl over the saucepan and whisk the yolks constantly until thickened slightly and bright yellow, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Gently reheat the butter; very gradually, whisk it into the yolks until a slightly thick sauce forms. Whisk in the lemon juice and a dash of Tabasco and season the hollandaise sauce lightly with salt and pepper. Whisk in the mint and thyme.

Transfer the broccoli to a platter; pour the hollandaise sauce on top. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and serve.