Boiling Green Vegetables
Broadly speaking, we're talking about things like green beans, brussel sprouts, snow peas and so on. Not cabbage, which should never be boiled in my view, and not some of the more delicate greens like spinach and buk choy.
Beans and sprouts are best cooked in uncovered, rapidly boiling salted water until they are just cooked - which means they are still firm and cut cleanly.
Drain them in a colander and then plunge them immediately into icy water. You can leave them there until you need them. This is the 'magic' step chefs use to keep greens truly green.
Yes, I know they'll go cold. That's not a problem. You see, by using this method you can prepare your green vegetables well ahead of time, even the day before if necessary, and not have to worry about them until just before you serve the meal.
When everything else is ready, have a pan of boiling water on the stove. Drop the greens in, count to ten and drain them. They're ready to serve as is, or you can glaze them with melted butter, add nutmeg, pepper or toss them in a little balsamic.
Easy? You betcha. And a foolproof way of ensuring that the greens are ready at the same time as the rest of the meal.
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