Winter Greens With Bacon Butter Food

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.

WILTED GREENS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Trim and chop 2 bunches dandelion greens, watercress or baby kale. Cook 3 slices chopped bacon until crisp; transfer to paper towels using a slotted spoon. Add 1 each sliced garlic clove and shallot to the drippings; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar; stir until dissolved. Add the greens in batches, tossing to wilt. Season with salt and pepper; top with the bacon.

WINTER GREENS WITH CRISPY BACON

Steps:

• Heat a pan of lightly salted water until boiling, then add the sprouts and cook for 4 minutes or until almost tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and cool under cold water. Halve any that are large. Add the sprout tops and kale to the pan and blanch for 1-2 minutes, then drain and refresh with cold water. Set the veg aside.
• In a large pan over a medium heat, dry- fry the bacon until crisp, then remove and set aside. Melt the butter in the same pan over a low heat, then fry the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the lemon zest and veg, then cook for 2 minutes until warmed through. Return the bacon to the pan with a squeeze of lemon juice, then season and serve.

WARM WILTED WINTER GREENS

Steps:

• Cook honey and balsamic together over medium-high heat in a large saute pan, about 5 minutes. Toast walnuts in a small skillet; set aside to cool.
• Pile greens on a platter. Stir mustard into balsamic-honey dressing, then whisk in about 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil; pour over greens. Season greens with salt and pepper and garnish with walnuts, pomegranate seeds, shavings of Parmesan, and shallot.

QUICK-BRAISED GREENS AND BEANS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Prepare the greens: Cut the tough stems out of the greens and discard. Stack the leaves, roll tightly crosswise and slice into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with cold water and swish to remove grit. Transfer greens to a colander, cleaning them a second time if the water remaining in the bowl is visibly dirty.
• Cook 2 bacon slices in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Meanwhile, cut the remaining 2 bacon slices crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.
• Add the 1/4-inch bacon strips to the hot bacon fat and cook, stirring, until the fat in the bacon strips starts to render, about 1 minute. Add the onion and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown around the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the stock, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, 5 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium, add the greens, season with salt and pepper and stir until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover and cook until tender with a little bite, about 3 minutes.
• Uncover and add the beans and hot sauce. Stir until the beans are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among serving dishes and crumble the cooked bacon slices on top. Serve with more hot sauce.

WINTER GREENS AND BACON

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon, and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons rendered fat.
• Add greens and water to pan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until greens are wilted and almost all the water has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
• Remove greens from heat. Stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Toss in bacon. Serve warm.

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.

WILTED GREENS WITH BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place romaine in a serving bowl.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy.
• Remove bacon and crumble over greens.
• To the pan, add sugar and vinegar, and simmer until sugar is dissolved, scraping up bacon bits that cling to the bottom of the pan.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Pour hot dressing over greens and toss.
• Serve immediately.