Robin Ellis

End of a busy day, when it would be good to have a confit de canard* up the sleeve, so to speak.

What to cook for dinner?

There’s the leftover pearl barley “risotto” with asparagus–which Meredith had found unremarkable the other night–and the unpromising broccoli I bought this morning, in the fridge.

Well there’s something to be said for starting with low expectations and being pleasantly surprised–so…

Risotto rissoles and sautéed broccoli?

The rissoles had a tendency to fall apart but the broccoli..!

1lb/450gm broccoli–cut into bite size pieces

4 tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic–chopped small

3 tbs parsley–chopped

salt and pepper

• Steam the broccoli until just tender and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a sauté pan large enough to hold the broccoli in a single layer.
• Sauté the garlic for a few seconds until it starts to turn color.

• Add the broccoli and the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir fry for a couple of minutes over a medium heat–coating the broccoli thoroughly in the garlicky oil.
• If the broccoli singes a little in the process–all the better!
• You may wish, like us, that you’d made more!

*Preserved duck leg–a local specialty and quick to prepare, as it is already cooked and preserved in duck fat