Expert explains why you should never boil broccoli in water

You've been cooking broccoli wrong this whole time, according to a food and health expert.

Broccoli frequently gets a bad rap for its bitter taste and slightly mushy texture, both of which combine to make it the bane of parents everywhere urging their children to eat their vegetables - even when said children are in their 30s.

Many of us, especially in the UK, are familiar with that sad, soggy blanched vegetable that sometimes comes out during Sunday lunch.

The florets might appear to hold their shape, but the slightest touch sends them disintegrating into something that looks like it was scraped off the bottom of a pond.

It transpires that the much maligned broccoli may have been unfairly written off by many, with the method of cooking making a huge difference.

Despair no more - it's the boiling that was the problem.

Fun fact - broccoli is cultivated from the same plant as cabbage, cauliflower, and sprouts (Nenov/Getty Images)

Jamie Vespa, a food and health expert from Dishing Out Health, explained that if you want to make your healthy broccoli more palatable then steer well clear of boiling it.

Not only does boiling result in the off-putting taste and texture, it can also result in some of the things that make broccoli good for you being cooked out of it.

Put away the saucepan and instead reach for the frying pan, as you can sauté the broccoli off - that's frying it off quickly in a little oil or butter.

"Unlike boiling, which can cause some of the more heat-sensitive nutrients, like vitamin C, to leach out, sautéing helps vegetables retain some of their more delicate nutrients,"

said Jamie.

"Perfect sautéed broccoli comes together in just 15 minutes and will become your go-to way of preparing it. Never dried out, perfectly tender, and lightly charred, this broccoli will win over even the pickiest of eaters."

That's a bit more like it (Sammyvision/Getty Images)

By sautéing rather than boiling you can cook off the broccoli, keep a far more texturally satisfying al dente texture, and give it a slight char if you like, all while retaining those crucial nutrients.

You can even chop the thick broccoli stem up into smaller julienned pieces and fry those off too for less wastage.

Once it's done you can season with salt and pepper, maybe even a dash of lemon juice or some grated parmesan, and you're good to go.

If you fancy trying something more adventurous you might even fry off in ghee and add garlic, some garam masala, and a little red chilli for an even more flavourful dish - a basic Indian broccoli sabzi.

And needless to say, this doesn't just apply to broccoli - you can do the same for most vegetables from cabbage to carrots, and even the dreaded sprouts.