Purple sprouting broccoli with soft-boiled egg and crisp rosemary breadcrumbs
- Published: 12 Apr 16
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
The addition of rosemary breadcrumbs and a perfectly soft-boiled egg transforms this simple dish from side to starter – get ready to dip that broccoli! Perfect as an Easter starter.
Make the most of purple sprouting broccoli’s short season: try our pappardelle with psb and walnuts, or chorizo and psb frittata.
Ingredients
- 8 medium free-range eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
- 100g dried breadcrumbs
- 4 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
- 1kg purple sprouting broccoli
- Lemon juice for squeezing
- Chilli flakes (optional; we like Aleppo chilli flakes, from good delis and ottolenghi.co.uk)
Method
- Put the eggs in a pan, cover with boiling water, bring straight back to the boil and cook for 6 minutes for soft-boiled. Drain and run under cold water for a minute or so to stop them cooking further. Peel the eggs, leaving them whole, and set aside.
- To make the rosemary breadcrumbs, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, rosemary and seasoning, then cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and the rosemary is fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Trim the purple sprouting broccoli and halve or quarter any thick stems. Put in a large saucepan, cover with boiling water and simmer for 4-5 minutes until tender. Drain and divide among plates. Slice each egg in half lengthways and put 2 halves on each plate. Scatter with the rosemary breadcrumbs, drizzle with a little more olive oil and squeeze over a little lemon juice, with some salt and pepper and the chilli flakes if using. Serve immediately.
- Recipe from March 2016 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 204kcals
- Fat
- 9.3g (2.1g saturated)
- Protein
- 14.5g
- Carbohydrates
- 13.2g (2.9g sugars)
- Fibre
- 5g
- Salt
- 0.4g
delicious. tips
Make the rosemary breadcrumbs 24 hours ahead, then keep covered somewhere cool and dry. Blanch the broccoli up to 12 hours ahead, refresh under cold water, then keep chilled. Cook the broccoli in boiling water for 1-2 minutes before serving.
Buy ingredients online
Rate & review
Rate
Reviews
Subscribe to our magazine
Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.
SubscribeUnleash your inner chef
Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter