Barely Blanched Broccoli Salad With Feta And Fried Almonds Food

BARELY-BLANCHED BROCCOLI SALAD WITH FETA AND FRIED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Fill a medium-sized pot with water, add 1 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. While the water is heating, trim the broccoli crowns and cut into bite-sized flowerets. (Make them all the same size so they will cook the same amount.) When water is boiling, add the broccoli, cook for exactly 3 minutes, then drain broccoli into a colander placed in the sink and let it cool.
• Mash the garlic with 1/4 teaspoons salt. (I used a mortar and pestle, but you can use anything that will smash up the garlic.) Mix in the hot pepper flakes and red wine vinegar and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 T of olive oil in a heavy frying pan, add the almonds, and fry until they are lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. (Watch carefully because they can go from lightly browned to burned rather quickly.) Put the almonds on a plate covered with a paper towel and let almonds cool a few minutes. (You can salt them if you want, but I thought the salad was salty enough with the Feta.).
• After 10 minutes, whisk the remaining 4 T of olive oil into the vinegar-garlic mixture. Combine the broccoli, Feta, and half the almonds in a bowl; then toss with the dressing to coat. Serve salad right away, with remaining almonds sprinkled over the top.