Cavolfiore seduto

Broccoflower is a cross between cauliflower and broccoli, but looks like the former. It is a striking chartreuse and here, in a dish from Basilicata, it is cooked whole: the leaves are removed and a cross is cut in the bottom so that heat can penetrate and cook the central core. The pot is tightly covered and the broccoflower, along with a handful of pitted olives and a sliced onion, is left to braise over very low heat with little moisture. As it cooks, it softens and “sits down.”