broccoli affogato crostini

Affogato in Italian means drowned.  Most are familiar with the dessert version using a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with a shot of hot espresso; simple and really quite scrumptious.  Broccoli affagato is a simple Sicilian recipe that can be used on toast (crostini), in pasta or on its own as a side.  It’s a forgiving dish as you really can’t mess it up.  It can be prepared a few hours before serving…just reheat.  In this Sicilian recipe, the drowning bit is where a glass of red wine is poured over the steamed broccoli.

Before the late 1950’s, the Italian rural population were quite poor.  Meat was eaten on special occasions (too expensive) and therefore their diet consisted mainly of vegetables, legumes, and greens.  Frugality was the norm; peasants learned how to make do with little and turn what little they had into something tasty.  And boy, did they know how to churn out delicious meals!  Take for instance panzanella – it makes perfect use of stale bread.  Ribollita (bread soup), polenta, aglio e olio (pasta with olive oil, garlic, and parsley), coniglio con pomodoro (roasted rabbit with plum tomatoes) are some of the dishes born out of a poor kitchen.

Serves 4 to 6
2 to 3 broccoli heads, cut into florets
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 to 3 anchovy fillets, packed in oil, roughly chopped
olive oil
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese (more for topping)
rustic bread, sliced
garlic clove, cut in half

In a large frying pan over medium heat a generous splash of olive oil. Add onions and cook until soft then add broccoli florets. Stir to combine then add 1/2 cup water. Cover and let the water steam the broccoli (5 minutes). Remove cover and add wine. Stir to combine and replace cover. Cook a further 10 minutes or until broccoli is pierced easily with a knife. When done, add cheese and let melt.

Toast bread slices. While still hot, rub garlic half over bread.  Spoon over broccoli affogato and sprinkle more cheese on top. Serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Love the flavor of garlic? Instead of rubbing garlic on the bread slices, finely grate over each slice. Enjoy!