The Boiling Mistake That Causes Grey, Mushy Broccoli
Boiled broccoli is great either alone, with a drizzle of olive oil and seasonings, or as the landing pad for an ooey-gooey cheese sauce. The thing is, in its boiled form, this human-made invention has a bad reputation for being a mushy, greyish, dull-looking disappointment. If you grew up on broccoli like this (and assumed it just wasn't the veggie for you), you're not alone. However, the cause of this unappetizing state is not due to the vegetable itself but rather overcooking it, which, unfortunately, is very easy to do.
Believe it or not, boiled broccoli can be firm enough that it holds its shape and yields a pleasant crispness while still remaining tender enough that you don't have to chew it too long. There are multiple ways to cook broccoli and achieve these results, but when boiled, there is a relatively small window of time in which it can keep its color and crunch. Go over this time limit and you're going to have a limp crucifer on your hands. If you like your broccoli that way, then the following advice isn't for you. If you prefer it with more crispness and color, though, you can take advantage of two crucial tips for better broccoli: Boiling it for just the right amount of time and blanching it when it's done cooking.
How to stop overcooking boiled broccoli
Broccoli needs no more than two to three minutes of boiling until it's done, with a two-minute boil providing more crunch. It's ready when the color is a vibrant green and the texture just on the cusp of tenderness. At this point, the florets will still be holding heat and undergoing carry-over cooking. You want to stop that process by suddenly cooling them through blanching, which involves moving food (usually veggies or fruits) from heat into an ice bath for a few minutes. This will help the color stay that bright, appetizing green and also aid in holding onto more of the broccoli's nutrients, half of which are typically lost during boiling.
Simply fill a bowl about ¾ full of ice water while the broccoli is boiling. When that two-to-three-minute mark is up for the boil, use a slotted spoon or small strainer to transfer the broccoli directly into the ice bath. Give it about three minutes or so but pay attention to the broccoli's color more than the timer's readout. When its hue has brightened a bit from its boiled state, remove it from the ice water and dry it gently with a kitchen towel or a paper towel. Now it's ready to wow you and your guests with its color, flavor, and texture.