1. 4. 2010 Sauteed Escarole with Radicchio
I love greens. So often on my mother's stove, there was a pot of homegrown greens from my dad's garden, cooking away. I remember him coming to the door in dirt-caked boots, and handing over enormous bunches for her to wash. It seemed like an endless task, the sink overflowing with them, the countertop piled high. But then they were in the pot, on the back burner, with salt and a drizzle of olive oil, and the aromatic earthiness of the steam fogged the kitchen window.
She kept it simple ... with 7 mouths to feed, this was not the only thing going onto the table for dinner. And I liked it that way. A little slivered garlic. A little olive oil. A ladle of the cooking liquid. Loaves of bread for tearing and dunking.
Mmmm. Back to the greens recipe. This reminds me of my mother's greens in its simplicity. It is a warming winter side dish that is great with roasted chicken or fish, or as a main dish served simply with sauteed or boiled potatoes tossed with a bit of butter and herbs. I'm making myself hungry!
Notes
Escarole: You can substitute kale or swiss chard for the escarole. The escarole I used for this recipe was relatively young, so I'm only dropping it into boiling water for a few minutes. If your greens are bigger and thicker, adjust the boiling and cooking time by adding 4 - 5 minutes more to each.
Radicchio: Radicchio is mildly bitter, if you haven't had it before. You can also use the long radicchio, called Trevisano, that looks like red belgian endive. The bitterness mellows when radicchio is cooked, especially with the addition of an acid like white wine vinegar or lemon.
Ingredients
2 small heads radicchio;
1 bunch escarole (about 350 grams);
1 shallot, diced;
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced;
1 lemon, juiced (about 1 tbsp), reserve the squeezed lemons;
1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving;
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling;
salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Cut the radicchio in half and remove the core by making a slanted cut (like a "V") on either side and pulling it out. Slice into thin wedges.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a sprinkling of salt. Tie the endive together at the stalks. Drop the endive into the boiling water and boil for 4 minutes. Pull the bunch out of the water and set in a strainer. Remove the string.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the garlic and shallots for about a minute. Add the radicchio. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the escarole. Season with salt and pepper. Add the reserved lemons that you squeezed before (optional). Cook the greens covered for about 5 minutes, and then remove the cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Discard the lemons. If the escarole stalks have softened, add the lemon juice and stir.
Season again with salt and fresh pepper, to taste. Serve drizzled with a little olive oil and the lemon wedges.
Escarole
Reader Comments (5)
My small dream is to grow a garden in my backyard when we get a house. I think it will be so fun. My in-laws are way into it and whenever I go to their house, I get so excited to use fresh vegetables from their garden. This dish looks so fresh and healthy. Can't wait to try it!
Me too ... I would love to have my own garden. My dad is so good at growing things....I hope it runs in the family. :)
I have to do more greens because they are my wife's favorites. This would be a nice spin on the basic collard greens that she grew up with.
Greens...so healthy and something I so neglect - much to my own chagrin. Wonderful post; you've inspired me and next trip to the grocery store I'm going to be sure to pick some up and eat them.
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