Sautéed Broccoli with Fish Sauce & Brown Sugar
Think your kids won’t eat green vegetables or fish sauce? Hear me out. Browned butter, fish sauce and brown sugar are the holy trinity of flavor. Adding elements of sweet, salt and fat in healthful amounts will go a long way in getting your kids to eat green vegetables. My son and his friends had seconds last time I served this broccoli at home.
Cooking with a quality fish sauce, such as Red Boat’s double barrel-aged fish sauce, makes all the difference in the world. It’s rich, earthy and aromatic—and most importantly, it doesn’t assault you with overwhelming saltiness. It’s like comparing a Yugo to a Rolls-Royce.
Sautéed Broccoli with Fish Sauce & Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 whole dry chiles
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon aged fish sauce
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Instructions
Place the olive oil in a saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and dried chiles, and cook until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Push the broccoli towards the sides, leaving room in the middle of the pan. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the middle of the pan, cooking briefly until nice and browned. Once the butter is browned, drag the broccoli through the butter, stirring to coat.
Next, steam the broccoli by adding the water to the pan. Cook until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is bright green and tender. Add the brown sugar and then the fish sauce. Stir to combine, and cook for another minute, so that the fish sauce, butter and brown sugar have a chance to caramelize.
Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.
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