Herbed Lemon Rice with Romanesco Broccoli
This dish came about because of a photographic assignment given by my son’s sixth grade teacher, Cyd, my passion for mathematics, and our mutual interest in Leonardo Fibonacci, whose mathematical number sequence is reflected in nature, particularly in plants, flowers and vegetables. My son set about looking for patterns in nature and found all sorts—from pine cones to tree rings and in Romanesco broccoli. I was thrilled with the broccoli, as it is stunning to look at. My son was less thrilled. He photographed the tree rings. I got the broccoli and was delighted to make a salad that kept its shape and the integrity of Fibonacci’s sequence intact.
Herbed Lemon Rice with Romanesco Broccoli
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
- 6 green onions, sliced
- 1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
- 1 small head Romanesco broccoli, broken into very small florets
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 cups basmati rice, cooked
- 3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
- ½ cup pistachios
Instructions
- Combine the lemon zest and juice with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and green onions and cook until the shallots are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir frequently. Add the preserved lemon and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the broccoli florets and the lemon-olive oil mixture. Cook for 5–6 minutes. Stir frequently. The florets should be just slightly golden. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the cooked rice, chives, cilantro and dill in a medium-sized serving bowl. Add the cooked broccoli mixture and stir. Top with pistachios just before serving.
Nutrition
Pascale Beale
Chef, teacher and food writer, Pascale Beale, owner of Pascale’s Kitchen, grew up in an eccentric European family who cherish food, wine and the arts. She is the author of 10 Mediterranean-style cookbooks, including the best sellers Salade and Salade II. Her food memoir, 9’ x 12’: Adventures in a Small Kitchen, a multi-media book, is hosted on Substack. Her latest cookbook is Flavour: Savouring the Seasons.
