Recipes Broccolini with Crispy Lemon Crumbs 4.0 (527) Add your rating & review What Top Chef fan could forget CJ Jacobson's soggy, brown Broccolini from Season 3? When challenged to prepare the dish for an airplane meal, CJ overcooked his vegetables so badly that they were unrecognizable—and he got kicked off the show for it. Gail Simmons reinvents the recipe by blanching Broccolini quickly, then sautéing it on the stove with a shallot and adding spicy, lemony, homemade bread crumbs at the very end. More Vegetable Dishes By Gail Simmons Gail Simmons Instagram Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show's inception in 2006, she has lent her expertise as a permanent judge on BRAVO's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series Top Chef, now in its 19th successful season. She is a co-host of The Good Dish, the new daily syndicated series offering delicious recipes, real-life wisdom, and conversations on the topics of the day, and most recently was host of Top Chef Amateurs, as well as IronChef Canada. From 2004 to 2019, Gail served as special projects director at FOOD & WINE. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 23, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Anson Smart Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 6 Ingredients 2 slices of white bread, torn 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest Salt 2 bunches Broccolini (8 ounces each), ends trimmed 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small shallot, very finely chopped Lemon wedges, for serving Directions In a food processor, pulse the white bread until large crumbs form. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the bread crumbs and cook them over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden. Remove from the heat. Stir in the crushed red pepper and lemon zest and season with salt. Transfer the crumbs to a plate to cool. Wipe out the skillet. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Broccolini and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well, shaking off the excess water; pat dry. In the large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the Broccolini, season lightly with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the Broccolini is lightly browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Transfer the Broccolini to a serving platter and sprinkle the lemony bread crumbs on top. Serve right away with lemon wedges. Make Ahead The lemon crumbs can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Rate it Print