Below, Dad steams broccoli.
The first time Dad did this he blanched the broccoli. It turned out great, slightly sweet with no bitterness. This time, however, he steamed it with out the ice water bath and it was very bitter.
Curious, he went in search of an answer. It turns out that the ice water bath does double duty. First it halts the cooking process so the florets do not become mushy. Second, it rinses off broccoli's bitter compounds.
To test this, he rinsed the florets under water and it dramatically improved in flavor. Dad, believing that broccoli always had to be bitter, has discovered a new favorite vegetable.
His next challenge is to figure out how to cook an entire piece, stalk and bush, without the bushy end turning to mush or the stalk remaining under done. He has an idea that involves submerging the stalk in boiling water while allowing the bushy end to steam.
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