Charred Lemon Broccoli with Almonds
Broccoli with blackened tips, soft garlic chips and lemon slices that turn bitter-sweet and almost jammy in the heat.
Why it works
Broccoli held close to a fierce dry heat loses its surface water fast, so the florets brown instead of going grey and squeaky. Slicing half the lemon into thin half-moons and cooking them alongside softens the peel and caramelises it, and you eat those slices whole — they season the dish far more sharply than juice on its own.
Method
- Heat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F). Toss the broccoli, lemon slices, oil, chilli and salt in a bowl with your hands until every floret is glossy.
- Tip into the basket in as close to a single layer as you can manage and air fry for 6 minutes, shaking hard at 3 minutes. Slot this in while your main rests, or run it straight after the basket has finished something else.
- Add the garlic and almonds at the 4 minute mark, not before. Both go from pale to bitter in under a minute of extra heat.
- It is done when the floret tips are properly black in places, the stalk gives to a knife with slight resistance, and the almonds are gold. Tip onto a platter and squeeze over the reserved lemon half.
For the toddler
Lift out a handful of florets and a few pieces of stalk before you toss the rest with salt and chilli at step 1, and coat theirs in plain oil. Keep the flaked almonds and the cooked lemon slices off their plate, or grind the almonds to a fine powder and dust it over. Cut the stalk into soft finger-length strips, and the florets small. A quarter of an adult serving is plenty.
How the toddler notes workChef’s notes
Tenderstem broccoli, romanesco or thick spears of cauliflower on the same timer. Hazelnuts instead of almonds, roughly bashed.
Leave out the almonds and slice the lemon while the fryer heats — three minutes of prep, and nothing to add mid-cook.
Roast chicken thighs, a piece of grilled white fish, or sausages with white beans.
Keeps 2 days chilled. Chop it small and fold it cold through pasta with the almonds and a little more oil.