Caesar dressed purple sprouting broccoli with McGrath’s corned beef

Serves: 4
Course: Starter
Cooking Time: 0 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
  • 1 small ciabatta loaf, torn into chunks
  • A good drizzle of olive oil
  • 12 cherry vine tomatoes
  • 400g purple sprouting broccoli (you can also use tenderstem)
  • 170ml cream
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • 80g Parmesan, grated
  • Salt and pepper
  • 12 slices McGrath’s corned beef (or Parma ham, sliced roast beef or leftover roast chicken)

1 Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, or equivalent.

2 Place the bread and tomatoes in a roasting tin and cook until the bread is golden, keeping an eye on the tomatoes so they don't overcook.

3 Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the broccoli for three minutes or so, depending on the thickness of the stems.

4 Plunge the cooked broccoli into iced water, then dry on a clean teatowel.

5 Put the cream into a bowl, stir in half the grated Parmesan, garlic and lemon juice.

6 Season with salt and pepper and when ready to serve, turn the broccoli in the dressing.

7 Serve everything together in a pretty way and scatter the remaining Parmesan on top.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford