Best Side Dish | Braised Winter Greens - Make your own at home

JD

October 02, 2019

0

healthy-side-dish, tasty-food-recipe

Braised hearty greens, such as kale or collards, are excellent as a side dish or stirred into pasta or grains. Don’t be afraid of braising; it’s a very approachable and forgiving cooking method. The challenge is getting the sturdy greens tender but not washed out and dull. Cooking the greens in just a cup each of broth and water—which we simply seasoned with garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes—allowed the greens to absorb all the flavorful liquid. Most of the liquid was absorbed or evaporated by the time the greens became tender. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end brightened and balanced the dish. Don’t be alarmed by the volume of raw greens: They cook down a lot, and wilting half of them in the pan first makes room for the rest. For best results, be sure the greens are fully cooked and tender in step 2 before moving on to step 3.

Ingredients

2 pounds kale or collard greens
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
5 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice

How to (Procedure)

1. Cut leafy portions of greens from either side of stems. Discard stems. Stack several leaves and chop them into 3-inch pieces. Rinse chopped greens until they no longer release any dirt and dry thoroughly in salad spinner.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in half of greens and cook until beginning to wilt, 1 minute. Stir in remaining greens, broth, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Quickly cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, 25 to 35 minutes for kale and 35 to 45 minutes for collards.
3. Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated (bottom of pot will be almost dry and greens will begin to sizzle), 8 to 12 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Variations

Braised Winter Greens with Chorizo

Cut 8 ounces chorizo sausage into ¼-inch-thick half-moons. Add chorizo to shimmering oil in step 2 and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to paper towel–lined plate. Proceed with recipe, cooking onion and garlic in remaining oil and substituting 1½ teaspoons ground cumin for red pepper flakes. Stir reserved chorizo into greens before serving.

Braised Winter Greens with Coconut and Curry

Substitute 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger and 1 teaspoon curry powder for red pepper flakes and 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk for water. Substitute 1 tablespoon lime juice for lemon juice and sprinkle greens with ⅓ cup toasted cashews before serving.

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