Boiled to dark-green sludge, squeezed into a grey ball, served as a wet mound that leaks green water across the plate.
It was never the vegetable. It was the method.
High pan heat with oil producing blistered, concentrated exterior while preserving interior bite and brightness. High heat, short duration.
Sensory outcome: crunchy
Steam or quick-blanch replacing long-boil submersion. Bright-tender result, no waterlogging, colour preserved. The enemy was never water, it was duration.
Sensory outcome: bright-tender
Mandolined or finely sliced raw preparation preserving full crunch, freshness, and cellular integrity. No heat. The vegetable as itself, revealed.
Sensory outcome: fresh
Low wet heat over long duration producing silky, collapse-tender texture with concentrated, sweet depth. Collapse as intention, not accident.
Sensory outcome: silky
Blistered: wilted-bright, silky; raw: fresh, peppery, crisp
Apr–Oct (UK field); import available year-round