Wilted Escarole With Country Ham And Chiles Food

WILTED ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Remove the tough outer leaves of the escarole and twist from the core, discard. Wash in a deep bowl filled with very cold water and swish around until all the dirt has rested on the bottom of the bowl. Lift the leaves from the bowl and spin dry in small batches in a salad spinner.
• Heat the butter, oil, and pepper flakes in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the escarole and stir until just wilted. Add the remaining escarole and cook until softened but still has a little crunch. Season with the salt and serve.
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WILTED ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Escarole is a winter green my father served to me raw in a salad. I always struggled with the underlying toughness of the leaves. I would smile and gulp down a lot of water while eating them! My favorite treatment for them now is to drop them in a hot pan with a splash of olive oil and a touch of chili flakes. The "fork-garlic clove" trick adds a nice, light garlic flavor! They will lose a lot of volume so don't be afraid to overload the pan and watch it wilt. Cook for only a few minutes and serve immediately.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the escarole and season lightly with salt and chili flakes. Cook the escarole, stirring, from time to time, with the fork, until they are completely wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. This will allow a "hint" of garlic to touch the greens without overwhelming them. Drain and discard any liquid. Transfer the leaves to a kitchen towel and dry them off, slightly, before transferring them to a platter. Serve immediately.

WILTED ESCAROLE AND RED ONION

Steps:

• Saute 1 thinly sliced red onion in 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Add 1 roughly chopped head escarole and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and cook until wilted, 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until any excess liquid evaporates.

WILTED ESCAROLE WITH GARLIC, LEMON AND OIL

Steps:

• Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-low heat with garlic and anchovy. Cook together 3 to 4 minutes to infuse garlic into oil. Remove the garlic cloves and stir oil to mix in the melted anchovies and add the red pepper flakes. Raise heat to medium-high. When oil ripples or begins to waft smoke, add greens and stir fry them 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over the greens, toss, and serve.

WILTED ESCAROLE WITH HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Cook 2 sliced garlic cloves in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 1 minute. Add 1 bunch roughly chopped escarole and toss. Cover and cook until just wilted, 2 minutes. Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with a pinch each of red pepper flakes and salt; add the zest of 1/2 lemon and the juice of the whole lemon. Toss with the escarole and season with salt. Top with chopped toasted hazelnuts and grated parmesan.

WILTED ESCAROLE WITH PINE NUTS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and toss in the garlic and crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat. When the garlic is golden and very aromatic, remove it from the pan and ditch it.
• Add the pine nuts, raisins, vinegar and 2 tablespoons water to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat and toss in the escarole. Toss the escarole to coat with the oil and vinegar mixture and season with salt. Remove the pan from the heat and cover for 1 minute.
• Remove the lid from the pan, toss again and taste. Adjust the seasonings, if needed.

WILTED ESCAROLE AND GARLIC-FRIED GARBANZO BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Fill a heavy-bottomed saucepan with 1 inch of oil. Heat to 350 degrees, checking the temperature on a deep-fry thermometer. Add the garlic, and fry just until it starts to turn golden, about 10 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Working in small batches, add the garbanzo beans to the oil. Fry until golden and crusty, 2 to 3 minutes. As you are frying, check the temperature of the oil with the deep-fry thermometer, and adjust the heat as necessary to keep it between 325 degrees and 350 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garbanzos to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm in the oven. Remove the pan of oil from the heat, and set aside.
• To wilt the escarole, place about 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch-oven over medium-high heat. Add as much escarole as will comfortably fit in your pan and toss with tongs until wilted. Then start adding the remaining escarole a handful at a time and keep tossing until all the escarole is wilted. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook for a few minutes more, until the escarole is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes altogether. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the escarole on a platter, and squeeze lemon juice over. Scatter the fried garbanzos over the escarole, and top with the fried garlic. Garnish platter with lemon wedges.

WILTED ESCAROLE WITH WALNUTS AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Cut escarole into 1 1/2-inch wedges, leaving base intact. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium; add a few wedges and cook, turning, until escarole is wilted and light brown on all sides, 3 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a platter. Repeat twice with more oil and remaining escarole. Top with walnuts and blue cheese; drizzle with lemon juice, if desired.