Mixed Winter Greens With Brown Butter Breadcrumbs Recipes

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.

PERFECT MIXED GREENS

Steps:

• Pull the leaf portions of the collard, mustard, and turnip greens away from the tough stems, and discard the stems. Gently wash the greens in warm water to remove all soil and sand. Partially fill a clean sink with warm water, and stir in 3 tablespoons of salt and 2 cups of chicken broth; allow greens to soak in the mixture for 10 minutes. Scoop up the greens and allow to drain in a colander; discard used chicken broth. Do not rinse the greens.
• Pour the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth into a large pot, and mix in the greens. Stir in vegetable oil, garlic, bacon bits, and sugar, and season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the greens are tender, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

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.

WINTER GREENS AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a large gratin dish. Peel the squash, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the kale and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander, then squeeze out any excess water.
• Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the well-drained greens. Cook until the greens are slightly wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, place half the sliced squash in the prepared dish and season with salt and pepper. Combine the nutmeg, allspice, and thyme in a small bowl. Spoon the kale over the squash and sprinkle with half the seasoning mixture. Top with remaining squash and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning.
• Pour the cream over the gratin and cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and press down on the squash with a spatula to compress. Cover and continue baking until the squash is soft when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Remove the foil from the gratin dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the squash. Dot with the butter and continue baking, uncovered, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

MIXED GREENS SALAD WITH BROWN BUTTER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter turns light brown in color, add shallots and stir for 10 seconds then season with salt and pepper. Add the sherry vinegar. Remove from heat, place in blender. Turn blender on high; slowly drizzle in olive oil to create an emulsion. Once all the olive oil is added, turn blender off. Taste for seasoning; adjust with salt and pepper, if needed. Add thyme and Italian parsley to blender, quickly pulse to incorporate.
• In a large bowl, toss salad greens with vinaigrette and serve immediately.

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.

BUTTERED BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small skillet over medium low heat. As soon as butter is melted and frothy, stir in breadcrumbs. Continue stirring until crumbs are evenly crisp and golden brown.
• If using any of the above mentioned variations add to the finshed buttered breadcrumbs.