Brown Butter Creamed Winter Greens Food

BROWN-BUTTER CREAMED WINTER GREENS

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, then add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Add milk in a stream, whisking, then add shallot, bay leaf, and peppercorns and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Strain béchamel sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids, and cover surface with parchment paper.
• Discard stems and center ribs from greens, then coarsely chop leaves.
• Cook lardons in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown but not crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then pour off fat from pot and wipe clean.
• Heat remaining 1/2 stick butter in pot over medium-low heat until browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes, then cook onion, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high, then stir in greens, 1 handful at a time, letting each handful wilt before adding next. Add béchamel, cream, garlic, red-pepper flakes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, uncovered, stirring, until sauce coats greens and greens are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in lardons, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

WINTER GREENS WITH BACON BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat grill to a medium-high setting. Cook the bacon under the grill until really crisp, turning halfway through cooking. Remove, drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool.
• Put the bacon in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add the butter and some black pepper, and blend again until combined. Transfer to a dish, or roll in cling film and chill for up to 3 days, or freeze for 2 months.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the kale and cook for 3-4 mins until tender. Drain well, then top with half the butter (see tip, below), and toss to help it melt and coat the kale.

MIXED WINTER GREENS WITH BROWN BUTTER BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat until it turns a nut-brown colour. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic, then fry, stirring, until golden. Add the parsley and lemon zest. Season with a little salt, then tip onto a piece of kitchen paper and let cool.
• Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then cook the kale until just softened - add a splash of water if it starts to stick. Add the spinach, then cook for 3-4 mins. Drain any excess water from the pan, then season with sea salt and black pepper. Spoon into a serving dish, top with the breadcrumb mixture and serve.

BROWN-BUTTER CREAMED WINTER GREENS

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Add the milk in a stream, whisking, then add the shallot, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, whisking, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Strain the béchamel sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids, and cover the surface with parchment.
• Discard the stems and center ribs from the greens, then coarsely chop the leaves.
• Cook the bacon in a wide 8-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown but not crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then pour off the fat from the pot and wipe clean.
• Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the pot over medium-low heat until browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes, then cook the onion, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium-high, then stir in the greens, 1 handful at a time, letting each handful wilt before adding the next. Add the béchamel, cream, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and boil, uncovered, stirring, until the sauce coats the greens and the greens are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the bacon, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
• DO AHEAD
• The BÉCHAMEL SAUCE can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, its surface covered with parchment; stir before using. The greens can be chopped 1 day ahead and chilled in a large sealed bag.

WINTER GREEN VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over high heat until hot.
• Add fennel and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add broccolini, snow peas and beans. Toss until well combined. Add water and cover.
• Cook, stirring every minute, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender. Season with salt and pepper.