What is the best way to cook broccoli rabe or brocolini?

No, they’re not the same. Broccoli rabe is leafier and more bitter, I don’t eat much of it. My mom used to make broccolini Chinese-style… boiling whole stems in water with some oil and serving with a drizzle of oyster sauce on top. It retained a clean taste that way, with a nice crunch as well.

I’m assuming you’re at home so… Start by grabbing these ingredients out of the fridge.

Crushed / Minced garlic (in the little jar with the blue lid – it should be in the door of the refrigerator, top shelf.) “Better than Bouillon” Chicken flavor (this is what the restaurant s use, you should use it too. It’s on the top shelf in door next to the garlic.) Lemon juice (it’s on the next shelf down)

Now to the spice rack – Grab your red pepper flakes and some Kosher salt.

Now to the pantry, on the bottom – Grab some oil. Whatever you use is fine.

Pull out your ten inch saute pan – this is the one you use to cook your grilled cheese sandwiches in. Go ahead and set it on the stove.

Grab some tongs, and a clean, sturdy kitchen towel.

Now, Pull out a wine glass, your favorite beverage glass, and a cheap plastic cup.

Fill the wine glass with the wine you were saving your guests. Fill the beverage cup with some ice-water. And fill the plastic cup with some warmish hot water. Oh, real quick get yourself a for too and place by the stove.

Ok, damn, you’re ready to begin.

1. Take a sip or two of your wine. This is supposed to be fun, and sneaking a little wine before everyone else is going to loosen you up in case you happen to burn the main dish.

2. With you fork, take about a teaspoon of the Chicken Base out of the jar, and mix it with that warm water in your cup. Give a wee taste – it should be just salty enough to remind you of a good chicken soup, if it’s so salty you have to take a sip of ice water, then it’s too damn much.

3. Take another sip of wine, that chicken base can be nasty.

4. Now, Turn your heat up on the saute pan to about 4-ish or medium low. wait about 30–40 sec. and add about a table spoon of oil to the pan, about the size of a quarter.

5. Now use your clean tongs to pinch about a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic out of the jar and toss it in the pan, (the garlic, not the jar.)

6. immediately shake some red pepper flake on top of the garlic, approx. 1/8 tsp. (move fast or this is all going to burn) -

7. Stovetops are crazy, if your garlic burned then take a sip of wine, and start over.

8. Saute the garlic and red pepper flake about 10 -15 seconds.

9. Place a handful of brocolli rabe in the pan, use those tongs to move everything around and get the garlic up off the bottom so it doesn’t all clomp together and burn.

10. Saute this mix for about 1 minute, get your chicken stock (in the plastic cup) ready near by.

11. Grab the bottle of wine you opened and splash in about 2 table spoons, enough for your pan to make some noise. Do this with finesse, stopping to re-fill your own glass to about half full.

12. While you were busy re-filling and sipping your wine, the wine that was in the pan should have cooked off – or- evaporated.

13. It’s time to add about a quarter of that cup of Chicken Stock to the pan, and cover it with a pan lid.

14. Turn the heat off, and move the pan to an empty saute eye to sit and rest about 4-five minutes.

15. Open the pan up, everything sould be wilted but still a nice vibrant green. Pinch of a pice of broccoli rabe and check your flavors. How is the salt content/ sodium level? How spicy is that red pepper flake?

16. If you’re happy with everything, you can squeeze a little of that lemon juice on top just to tarten things up a bit, and give that balance that it all needed. Remember, brocolli rabe can be pretty damn bitter.

Now for my critique of my answer. It’s way too freaking long, I would just go to recipezaar and see what they say. As for the 10” saute pan, if you’re cooking for a party you might want to enlarge that to 14”, but just make sure to have a lid nearby. It’s not cool to encourage drinking wine, it’s not funny or hip, and probably just makes you look like you have a drinking problem. You don’t have to use chicken base, you could use a homemade vegetable stock if you’re smooth like that. You don’t have to use lemon juice from a bottle, it’s cheap and looks cheap too, I just like to save the fresh lemons for tequila shooters. Sue me. Actually don’t sue me, as I am not liable for any nervous breakdown you have when you party screws up because you were already a full bottle of wine ahead of everyone else and decided that tequila shooters sounded like a fun idea.

Do you want it to be healthy? I don’t. Mix up some vegetable oil, butter, chicken base, onion powder, garlic powder with about same amount of water. Lets that get hot (make sure you’re not burning the powder) them throw in your rabe. Cook until it is soft. Drain. Eat em.

Yea do what simone said, thats how we did the rabe at restaurant we used work at together and it was pretty damn good.