Purple sprouting broccoli is available all year round but is at its best in the UK from January to April. It has a deep green-purple colour and is longer, leaner and leafier than regular broccoli. When buying purple sprouting broccoli, make sure that they look fresh and are not tough at the edges or floppy.

It is very easy to overcook broccoli, as the florets cook quicker than the stems. When overcooked, broccoli will fall apart and lose its vibrant colour. The most common method of cooking broccoli is to boil it in salted water for 3-4 minutes, although steaming works equally well.

This collection of purple sprouting broccoli recipes contains some fantastic inspiration for making the most of this seasonal brassica. It works particularly well in fish recipes, whether drenched in lemon butter sauce as seen in Matthew Tomkinson's easy cod recipe, or steamed en papillote with sea bream as Danny Kingston prefers. Nathan Outlaw prepares a Warm salad of purple sprouting broccoli and cuttlefish, while Josh Eggleton's simple broccoli recipe makes a fantastic vegetarian side dish.