Don’t let broccoli’s virtuous goody two-shoes reputation put you off – these verdant and versatile florets make the perfect addition to tray bakes, salads, soups and more.

I reckon broccoli’s “superfood” status has given it a bit of a bad reputation. Because it’s so healthy (and reasonably inoffensive), its nutrients are all we want it for – we’ve made broccoli one-dimensional, the bland soulmate of steamed chicken. It’s a shame, because broccoli is actually quite versatile and open to being delicious.

But I won’t lie – broccoli is very healthy. A 100g serving of broccoli only has 34 calories, but provides 107% of your daily dose of vitamin C, 97% of vitamin K, as well as a decent dose of B vitamins when eaten raw. Tech millionaire Bryan Johnson, who is on a quest to reverse his ageing, eats “a few pounds” of broccoli and cauliflower early each morning. See, even writing that makes me see broccoli in a less yummy light. 

To combat that dreary health vibe, here’s some fun broccoli info. While it seems obvious once you think about it, I was quite delighted by the thought that the ends of a broccoli floret are actually tiny flower buds. If left unharvested, these buds can bloom into yellow flowers – so when you eat broccoli, you’re eating a bouquet. 

I always think of broccoli as simply “broccoli”, but there are actually all sorts of variations, and they have some brilliant names – for example, you could serve your bland steamed chicken with a side of Blue Wind, Coronado Crown, Destiny, Green Goliath, Green Magic, or Sun King. 

Then there’s broccoli’s fancy cousin, broccolini. What makes it fancy? Is it just its sweet slender limbs, which makes it look more elegant on a plate? Actually, Google tells me, broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and gai lan (aka Chinese broccoli, another brassica), which was developed over eight years in Japan. That is fancy. 

Broccoli is also the word I most often misspell. I mean…almost every time. 

Where to find broccoli

Autumn means broccoli is back in business. A head of broccoli is $3.79 at New World, $3.49 at Supie, or $3 at both Pak’nSave and Countdown. For those hosting a fancy dinner party, broccolini is $3.99 at Countdown and $4.49 at Supie.

How to make broccoli terrible

Boiling for a few minutes too long is a sure-fire way to ruin this well-meaning brassica. Soft, soggy and waterlogged is not what broccoli is meant to be, and boiling also diminishes the health benefits – steaming, stir-frying, even microwaving better preserve its goodness. If you’re boiling or steaming broccoli, always keep a close eye on your pot. It only needs two or three minutes, until bright green but still quite crisp. 

The other ruination option? Not using your broccoli quickly enough. Broccoli doesn’t keep very well, so should ideally be used within a few days of getting popped in the fridge. To extend its shelf life, you can bundle your broccoli with damp paper towels and stash it in a ziplock bag. 

How to make broccoli amazing

As well as a welcome visitor in stir fries, curries and on the side of almost anything (just in the last week, I have served steamed broccoli with dumplings, crispy curry fish bites, and Kung Pao chicken), there are some slightly more creative ways to use broccoli. 

Roasting broccoli is one of my favourite cooking methods; it becomes lightly charred, crunchy in places, and develops a lovely smokiness. You can add it to any vegetable tray bake, during the last 15 minutes of roasting. I recently paired charred broccoli with roasted baby potatoes and eggplant, fried halloumi, and a spicy Greek yoghurt sauce – divine. 

Then there’s soup. Last year in winter I started really getting into blended vegetable soups, and broccoli and cheddar soup was one of my absolute top favourites. In most cases for me, soup is simply a dip or accompaniment to buttered crunchy toast. This soup really stands on its own, however, and I’d happily eat it toastless. 

Finally, you can make this really easy, really delicious raw broccoli salad, which I paired with roast hasselback potatoes and paprika chicken thighs. Simply finely chop the raw broccoli (including the stem and leaves), then toss with a lemon juice and mayonnaise dressing, finely sliced red onion, and roasted and chopped almonds. Perfect in the depths of winter when you’re craving a fresh green salad, but lettuces are still months away. Not that we’re there yet – even if shivering out of bed this morning felt like it.

Wyoming Paul is the co-founder of Grossr, and runs a weekly meal plan that connects to online supermarket shopping.

Read all the previous Ingredients of the Week here.

If you saw the demonstration at Pasifika Festival – or if you’ve just always wanted to know how it’s done – here’s a step-by-step guide to preparing your own umu oven.

A Sāmoan umu is an above-ground oven of hot volcanic rocks. Traditionally, an umu was laid out three times a day to cook the family meals, a custom that continues in Sāmoa today, including in the many hotels and resorts that offer umu buffets once a week.

For many New Zealanders, last weekend’s Pasifika Festival may have been the first time they saw an umu being used. The Auckland festival has held demonstrations of hāngī, lovo and other cooking pit methods from islands such as Tuvalu in the past, but this was the first time it included a showcase of the cooking style used by Sāmoans for thousands of years.

If you saw the demonstration and were inspired to try creating an umu yourself, there are a few things you need to know. You’ll want to make sure you have enough firewood, coconut husks and coconut shells to create the fire and ensure the rocks are heated up well. Choosing the right rocks is important as you want to avoid the fire in the pit bursting – Sāmoans recommend rocks found in the river or along the coastline.

Here’s a how-to guide on preparing an umu, starting with the ingredients you’ll need.

Serves 2-5

• Coconut cream
• A large number of banana leaves
• Coconut fronds and/or half coconuts
• 2 fish fillets
• 2 octopus
• 2 pieces of preferred pork cuts
• 2 pieces of preferred chicken cuts
• 2 pieces of preferred lamb cuts
• 4 large taro
• Seasonal vegetables (optional)

Unlike the hāngī, where food is cooked inside a pit, the umu requires no digging. Place a medium square sheet of corrugated iron on the ground and start layering your firewood, coconut husks and halved coconut shells on top, creating an area that will be large enough to lay the prepared food.

Light a fire on the firewood and coconut pieces and let it spread evenly.

Lay your rocks on top of the fire carefully and let it heat up for half an hour to 40 minutes.

Grab a few banana leaves and, one at a time, hover each leaf on top of the fire to let it soften and become flexible enough to wrap the prepared food that’ll sit on top of the hot rocks.

After around 40 minutes, the flame will be out and the rocks will be glowing red, meaning the umu is ready to cook the food. Using tongs, carefully take out the firewood and coconut pieces, leaving the heated rocks behind, ready to cook the food.

Cut each taro in half and place on top of the rocks first, as taro requires a longer time to cook.

Once the taro pieces are in position, using tongs, move some of the rocks on top to cover the food items and then place a few banana leaves on top of those rocks, ready for the next row of food items, which will be the meat coated in coconut cream and then wrapped in banana leaves, forming little parcels.

The fish, which is prepared in exactly the same way as the meat, is placed on the top. Cook it for 10-15 minutes before taking it off the rocks, as it doesn’t need long to cook.

Grab more banana leaves to cover the entire umu to ensure no steam escapes. Traditionally, Sāmoans walk around the edges of the umu, stamping on the leaves to keep the steam in.

The umu is lifted after two hours by removing the layers of banana leaves and putting the cooked food in woven baskets ready to be served immediately.

The umu is full of natural smoky flavours, tropically juicy and delicious.

This is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.