Broccoli stems in broccoli sauce

Serves 4

– 3 stems of broccoli

– 2 purple top Milan turnips

– salt

– 1 clove garlic

– 100ml grapeseed oil

– 200ml chicken stock

Dressing

– 2 tbsp dried calendula petals

– 60ml apple cider vinegar

– 20g honey

– 80ml grapeseed oil

– 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

To serve

– wild fennel fronds

Peel the outer skin from the broccoli with a small knife then finish by using a vegetable peeler to take the last of the fibrous peel off (retain this peel to add to the sauce). Peel and cut the turnips into six wedges. Remove the sharp corners from the turnip and retain this trim.

Bring a pot of water to the boil and add two-thirds of the broccoli stem and all the turnip to the water. Boil for 30 seconds then pull the pot off the heat and add a more liberal amount of salt than you would normally season with, at a ratio of about 40 grams per litre of water. Let the broccoli and turnips cool in this liquid.

Peel and finely slice the garlic clove and add to the oil and stock in a small pot and bring the liquid to the boil. Slice the rest of the broccoli stem and add to the stock with the peel, turnip scraps and a small amount of seasoning. Boil for about two minutes until it almost starts to emulsify.

Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. I don’t normally feel the need to strain this sauce but it might be required if the peel is especially fibrous.

Combine the calendula with the vinegar, honey, grapeseed oil and black pepper. Whisk to mix well and adjust for seasoning, keeping in mind the salt level of the cooked stems.

Remove the larger pieces of broccoli and the turnip and place onto a towel to dry. Toss the vegetables in the sauce and then transfer onto a plate to serve, spooning the rest of the sauce over the top. Dress the vegetables with the calendula dressing and finish with wild fennel fronds.