broccoli and red peppers with Thai peanut sauce

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broccoli coconut thai peanut red peppers

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This recipe is based on one from Cook’s Illustrated, and the article had a couple of other vegetable recipes to make, using this same sauce base. So for dinner I made this dish, and then another dish using the same sauce base:  Thai-flavored eggplant with scallions. Really a fun combination!

It’s important to use an oil with a high smoke point, like peanut oil or grapeseed oil, so it doesn’t burn and smoke while you stir-fry the eggplant. Don’t use olive oil, for sure!

Thai Sauce Base
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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Vegetables
¼ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 tablespoon peanut oil or grapeseed oil plus 1 more teaspoon
2 large red bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips
1 ½ pounds broccoli, separated: stems peeled and sliced into ¼”-thick coins, crowns cut into 1-inch florets
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and minced

1. For Thai Sauce Base: Mix fish sauce, lime juice and zest, sugar, and red pepper in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add coconut milk and peanut butter to Thai Sauce Base, whisk until smooth; set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in your largest nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli stems and cook until starting to soften (3 or 4 minutes), then add red pepper and broccoli florets; cook, stirring often, until just barely tender, about 5 more minutes—keep tasting to make sure!
4. Push vegetables to sides of skillet, clearing center of pan. Add remaining teaspoon oil, garlic, and ginger to center of pan and mash with back of spoon; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir mixture into vegetables.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in about half of the sauce mixture. Taste it and see how you like it, and whether you’d like to add more sauce. I didn’t use quite all of my sauce (it’s pretty potent, salty stuff!), so just keep adding until you’re happy with the flavors.
6. Simmer to heat through and blend flavors, about 1 minute; serve immediately with rice.