Whole broccoli sliced thick into steaks and grilled on a smoking-hot griddle until the florets char black at the edges and the stem softens to creamy. Marinated artichokes, pitted olives and roasted red peppers crown the top; flaked almonds toasted in a dry pan finish the plate. Vegetable cooking with confidence.

The broccoli steak (cutting whole broccoli through the stem so each piece holds together as one) is the technique that turned the brassica from side dish into main course in the early-2010s Brooklyn restaurant scene. Roasting alone gets you partway there; the hard char of a grill is what brings out the sugar and the nutty, almost beef-like depth in the stem.

Keep the outer layer of the stem on (peeled lightly with a knife to remove the toughest fibres) so the steak holds its shape. Olive oil hard, salt generously, press it down with a heavy pan on the grill to maximise contact with the heat.

The Mediterranean garnishes (artichokes, olives, anchovies optional, marinated goat's cheese feta) turn it into a Sicilian antipasto plate. Serve with crusty bread, a glass of Falanghina, and a fork that doesn't need a knife alongside.