There are a few signs that Superiority Burger isn’t fast food as usual. In New York’s East Village, chef Brooks Headley and his team sling meat-free burgers in a dimly lit basement that seats nine, generously. Broccoli salad is a best-selling item, and fries have never once appeared on the menu. Yet somehow the restaurant commands a cult following of vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores alike. Now Superiority Burger’s recipes are being made public for the first time, in a new cookbook.
Recipe and Photographs from Superiority Burger Cookbook by Brooks Headley. Copyright © 2018 by Brooks Headley. Photographs copyright © 2018 by Sunny Shokrae. Reprinted with permission of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
Burnt Broccoli Salad
This was our first salad. It’s on the main menu and never leaves. There are multiple steps, but the end result is worth it. Initially it was a fish sauce– less take on a Thai- style green papaya salad that strayed so far from the original it no longer resembled anything remotely stolen. A very dry cast- iron skillet on high heat will burn your broccoli nicely (no oil though, as it will ignite immediately).
Coriander Vinaigrette
Makes 2 cups
-2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted
-¼ cup water
-½ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
-Juice of 1 lime
-½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Finely grind the coriander seeds in a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle. Mix the
ground- up seeds with the water in a medium bowl. Add the rice wine vinegar and lime juice
and mix to combine. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Eggplant Puree
Makes 2 cups
-2 Japanese eggplants
-¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
-2 tablespoons malt vinegar
-1 tablespoon maple syrup
-1 tablespoon smooth tahini
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet with the skin directly touching
the pan. Drizzle a little olive oil over the inner flesh and season with a little salt and pepper.
Cook the eggplants in the oven until lightly browned and fully tender, about 30 minutes. Let
cool. - Put the eggplants, including the skin, into the bowl of a food processor (or use an immersion blender). Add the malt vinegar, maple syrup, and tahini to the bowl. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper as needed. If the puree is too thick, add a little water and blend a bit more.
Candied Cashews
Makes 2 cups
-2 cups roasted unsalted cashews
-3 tablespoons simple syrup
-½ cup turbinado sugar
-1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the cashews with the simple syrup in a medium bowl until lightly coated. There should not
be liquid in the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle the sugar and salt all over the nuts and toss to
coat. Spread the nuts out into a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake until the cashews begin
to toast and the sugar becomes glossy, about 15 minutes. Let cool and roughly chop. This
method of simple syrup and turbinado sugar and salt can be used for candying just about
anything— sunflower seeds, coconut, corn chips . . .
Burnt Broccoli Salad
Serves 6
-2 bunches broccoli, florets separated from the stems, stems peeled and shaved lengthwise on a
mandoline
-2 Fresno chiles, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
-1 tablespoon cane sugar
-1 teaspoon kosher salt
-½ cup white wine vinegar
-Fresh cilantro leaves
- Heat a dry medium cast- iron skillet over high heat. Cook the broccoli florets, tossing
occasionally, until the surfaces are blackened, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and let
cool. - Toss the chiles, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Let sit for a few minutes, until the juices release,
then add the white wine vinegar. - To serve, toss the charred broccoli florets, the broccoli stems, and ½ cup of the coriander
vinaigrette in a large bowl. Serve over the eggplant puree topped with chopped candied
cashews, cilantro leaves, and drained Fresno chiles.