Thursday, March 3, 2011

pan braised greens with shallots

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    when it comes to cooking greens, more is less

Anyone who has experience with cooking kale, chard, collard greens or spinach, knows that looks can be deceiving.  Greens are a bit like popcorn in reverse.  You start out with a mountain and end up with a molehill. 

In other words, greens shrink.  A lot.  So be prepared.  The preparation requires a measure of patience but you’ll find the results are well worth your effort.

The combination of greens is entirely up to you.  Sometimes, I mix kale and chard.  When I’m cooking something with a Southern bent, I add some collard greens.  My favorite is straight up Dinosaur kale.  Sometimes referred to as Lacinato, Tuscan or Black Dino, it has a pleasing texture and a hearty flavor.  I prefer it hands down over regular kale.  Note: Because of its high water content, spinach is not recommended.

 

pan braised greens with shallots

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serves 4 – 6

ingredients

4 bunches greens (such as dinosaur kale, chard or collard or a mixture)
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 –2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
aleppo pepper, optional
sea salt
water

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directions

Wash the greens well, being sure to carefully check for bugs and dirt.  Remove the center stalk and ribs.  Tear the greens into small strips, about one by three inches.  Rinse once more.  Place greens in a large bowl and set aside. 

In a large pan with high sides, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium high heat.  Add the shallots, stirring until they are translucent and the edges are crispy brown.  Fill the pan with greens.  Stir well to mix in the shallots.  Once the first batch of greens have shrunk down, incorporate any remaining greens.  Add the vinegar and another tablespoon of olive oil.  Season with sea salt, to taste.  Add about 1/4 cup water and continue cooking for 3 –5 minutes on medium heat.  For a spicy kick, I sometimes add a pinch or two of Aleppo pepper but any chili pepper flakes will do.

Serve hot.  These are an excellent accompaniment alongside roast chicken or steak.

1 comment:

  1. This is such a healthy and easy recipe. I really need to cook with kale more often.

    It is vegetarian week at our online Get Grillin’ event and we would love if you submitted up to any 3 recipes (they don’t have to be grilled) to our link up. This one would be perfect!
    This week we have a ManPans giveaway. http://bit.ly/k1tKeY

    ReplyDelete