The crispy broccoli at ABC Kitchens in Dumbo, Brooklyn, is not a dish most home cooks would attempt. The menu lists it plainly: roasted broccoli, pistachio crumbs, lime. The kitchen’s version is more involved.

Melissa Clark, writing for New York Times Cooking on Oct. 19, said the plate arrives with golden, crumb-coated broccoli set on a stipple of green and gold vinaigrettes. She described it as crunchy and silky, sharp and salty-sweet. She also said it was not simple.

Clark asked the restaurant for the recipe. What she received, she wrote, was all but uncookable. It called for a food processor, a blender, an electric mixer and a chinois, and it ran 16 steps over two days.

She called Ayaka Guido, the executive chef of ABC Kitchens, to ask whether the dish could be reworked for a weeknight. Guido told her the dish is a classic from Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the chef and co-owner of ABC Kitchens. It is served in different ways across his restaurants, either as a side for a protein such as steak or, as at ABC Kitchens, on its own, with slabs of treelike broccoli at the center of the plate.

Guido, who had learned the recipe, added her own touches to it, including a hazelnut citrus vinaigrette for brightness and nutty depth. For the home version, Clark wrote, Guido thought for a few minutes and came back with a plan.

The two vinaigrettes are gone. In their place is a bed of white beans infused with garlic and herbs, which adds plushness and protein. The roasted broccoli sits on top. The pistachio bread crumbs are toasted in olive oil and livened with chile, then scattered over the dish as a final layer. Clark described the crunch as varied: crisp from the panko, softer from the nuts.

In her own kitchen, Clark wrote, the dish came together quickly and easily, and it tasted very good. She was clear that it is not the same as what appears on the ABC Kitchens menu. She called it a variation with its own appeal.

Guido said she does not cook much at home. “But this is the kind of super-simple thing anyone can make,” she told Clark.

The adapted recipe is published on New York Times Cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ABC Kitchens crispy broccoli dish?

It is a Jean-Georges Vongerichten classic served at ABC Kitchens in Dumbo, Brooklyn, featuring golden, crumb-coated roasted broccoli set on green and gold vinaigrettes. The restaurant version is complex and takes 16 steps over two days.

How is the home version of ABC Kitchens crispy broccoli different?

The home version replaces the green and gold vinaigrettes with garlic- and herb-infused white beans and tops the roasted broccoli with pistachio and panko crumbs toasted in olive oil and seasoned with chile. It requires no food processor, blender, electric mixer, or chinois.

Who adapted the ABC Kitchens crispy broccoli recipe for weeknights?

Ayaka Guido, executive chef of ABC Kitchens, created the simplified weeknight version at the request of Melissa Clark of New York Times Cooking.

Where was the Melissa Clark article about ABC Kitchens broccoli published?

Melissa Clark wrote about the dish for New York Times Cooking on Oct. 19, and the adapted recipe is published on New York Times Cooking.

Who created the original ABC Kitchens crispy broccoli dish?

The dish is a classic from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the chef and co-owner of ABC Kitchens.

Editorial Transparency. A first draft of this story was produced with AI-assisted writing tools, then reviewed for accuracy and tone by the named editor before publication. More on our process: Editorial Policy.