Broccoli Rabe Panini with Mozzarella

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Recipe Review

This recipe was a disappointment…..perhaps I misinterpreted what Deb wrote in the headnotes, but I was expecting a method of preparing this vegetable that toned down its inherent bitterness. This doesn’t come close. The onions caramelized in butter and the mozzarella were nice complements to it, but they don’t mask the bitterness.

Another issue is that you’re asked to exclude the stems…….exactly what is one supposed to do with (edible) broccoli rabe stems? It’s not a vegetable anyone would willingly add to a stock…..I sliced them thinly and cooked them with the leaves and florets.

I would actually make this sandwich again but I would first blanch the vegetable, a step I find goes a long way in reducing the bitterness.

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Comments

Queezle_Sister - 28th December 2012
I'm currently reading "The Science of Good Cooking (Cook's Illustrated Cookbooks)" and it suggests that the taste bud receptors for bitterness can be toned down with the addition of salt. The sensation of salt blunts the brain's perception of bitterness. I used a pinch in a terrible cup of coffee this morning, and this seemed to work. Unfortunately it didn't turn it into great coffee, but it did make it noticeably less bitter. So - if you were to try this recipe again, a more liberal sprinkling of salt might make it more palatable.

Zosia - 29th December 2012
That relationship between salt and bitterness is fascinating! Curious to know just how much salt would be required to tone down the bitterness sufficiently.......maybe so much that the dish would be too salty to be palatable!

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