Prosciutto Wrapped Broccolini With Basil Crisps
By: Melody Fury
Published: Tuesday, January 5, 2010 - 5:57pm

Ingredients




1 bunch of Broccolini
1 bunch of Fresh Basil
12 Thinly sliced Prosciutto or your preferred cured meat
1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil 

Salt and Pepper

Preparation

1 Prepare an ice bath. Trim the bottom tip off the broccolini. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Blanch the broccolini for 30 seconds, remove, then submerge into the ice bath. When the broccolini is fully cooled, drain and pat dry with a kitchen towel. 2 Reduce the balsamic vinegar over medium heat until it becomes 1/4 cup of sticky syrup. Set aside. 3 Drop a small handful of basil leaves into the oil. Shield yourself from potential splatter. It only takes one second for the leaves to pop. Immediately fish them from the oil with a strainer and place onto a towel-lined plate. The leaves should become crisp and translucent, but not darkened or it will be bitter. 4 Heat up the grill and coat generously with olive oil. Grill the broccolini until slightly charred and softened. Season with salt and pepper. 5 Wrap the broccolini with prosciutto. Place onto serving platter, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic reduction. 6 Garnish with basil crisps when ready to serve.

About


Broccolini is a cross between broccolli and gai-lan, a common green used in Asian cooking. The distinct florets grow out of crispy gai-lan like stems. Its flavor is sweeter and greener than broccolli and has a lovely tinge of bitterness.
This vegetable carries its own flavour and can stand up to the saltiness of the prosciutto and the pronounced tang of the vinegar.