Escarole Siciliano Recipes

ESCAROLE SICILIANO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add escarole; cook and stir until greens begin to wilt. Stir in lemon juice. Add capers, salt, and olives; cook and stir for another 15 seconds. Season with black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

GARLIC AND OIL SAUTEED ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and barely simmer until garlic is just beginning to brown. Remove and discard garlic. Pour oil into a clean container and reserve.
• Remove any tough outer or damaged leaves from the escarole. Cut off the tough root end and tear leaves into large pieces. Wash well in a sink filled with cold water. Shake off excess water. In a deep saucepan with cold water to cover by about 2 inches, boil escarole for about 5 minutes over high heat. Remove from heat and drain in a colander. Immediately place escarole in cold water to cover, stopping the cooking process. When escarole is cool, drain well in a colander and pat dry.
• TO MAKE GARLIC AND OIL SAUTE()EED ESCAROLE: Heat oil in a large, heavy sauteG pan over medium heat. Add garlic. Stir in the escarole and sauteG for 3 minutes or until hot. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

ESCAROLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add the anchovies, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the escarole and salt to the pan, cover and cook until wilted. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Remove and discard the garlic cloves. Let the escarole cool slightly, then place it in a large kitchen towel and gently ring out excess moisture. Transfer the greens to the bowl of a food processor. Add the olives, the lemon zest and juice, and the feta and process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add the currants and pulse to combine.
• Unroll the pie crusts. Use one to line a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it gently into the pan so there are no air bubbles and leaving some overhang around the edges. Brush the crust with the beaten egg, then spoon in the filling and distribute evenly. Cover with the second pie crust, tucking in and crimping the edges with your fingers or the tines of a fork. Cut three slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush the pie with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

SICILIAN ESCAROLE SALAD

Steps:

• Add Wine vinegar to bottom of bowl.
• Peel garlic, and using a garlic press, add garlic to vinegar and allow to sit at least 10 minutes. (Alternatively, if you don't have a garlic press, mince garlic finely and then sprinkle with salt and rub the side of your knife across it to crush garlic to a fine paste, then add to vinegar as above.) Stir pepper, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes into vinegar. Add chopped onion, stir to mix together.
• Wash and thoroughly dry the escarole and separate the leaves, tearing them into 1-2 inch pieces. Add to vinegar and garlic, chop the cucumber into one inch pieces and season with black pepper.
• If using the optional anchovies, break them into sections and add to the olive oil. Otherwise, pour olive oil over salad, sprinkle with salt and mix gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Escarole salad can be easily varied to suit the ingredients that you have available, or what's seasonal at the market. But remember, it's best kept rather simple, with not too many ingredients.
• This can be topped with Parmesan croutons or served with [bruschetta]. When in season, optionally add fresh ripe tomato slices and use chopped fresh basil and oregano. Another nice addition is roasted red peppers. Or add 2" X 1/2" slices of salami, mortadella or a sharp Italian cheese such as Asiago or Provolone. Or add a can of cannelloni beans (drained), or a can of Italian Tonno (tuna) packed in olive oil.
• Note: When using anchovies, adjust salt, as anchovies can be very salty depending on how they're packed.

ESCAROLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a colander in a large bowl. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In 2 batches, cook escarole until tender, 7 minutes, then drain in a colander, pressing with a spatula to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
• In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Cook shallot and garlic until tender, 4 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add milk and cook, whisking, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 2 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in escarole. Pour mixture into a 1-quart baking dish.
• In a food processor, pulse bread until coarse crumbs form; transfer to a small bowl. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and pour over breadcrumbs, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Top escarole with breadcrumbs and bake until golden brown and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.