Braised Escarole
Escarole loses its sharp edge when heat is applied, transforming from a crisp salad green into something far more yielding. This is the way to turn a sturdy, bitter leaf into a side dish that anchors a meal of roasted meat or white beans.
Cleanliness is the only hurdle.
Escarole grows close to the dirt, so rinse the heads under heavy cold water, shaking them out between each soak until the sink water runs clear.
- large deep skillet or Dutch oven
- tongs
- colander
What goes in.
- 2 largeheads of escarole, chopped into 2-inch ribbons
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 4 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tspred pepper flakes
- 1/2 cupchicken or vegetable broth
- to tastesea salt
Don't rush the wilt
The goal is to drive the moisture out of the leaves while infusing the oil with garlic. Keep the heat at medium—if the garlic browns too quickly, it turns acrid.
The method.
Infuse the oil
Heat the olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking until the garlic turns pale gold and smells fragrant.
Add the greens
Add the wet escarole in handfuls. It will look like too much for the pan, but use your tongs to turn the greens over the heat until they collapse in volume.
Braise
Pour in the broth, turn the heat to low, and cover the pan. Let it steam for 10 minutes until the thick stems are tender enough to pierce easily with a fork.
Finish
Remove the lid and turn the heat back to medium-high for 2 minutes to evaporate any excess liquid. Season with salt to your preference.
Other turns to take.
The Tuscan addition
Stir in a drained can of cannellini beans during the last 3 minutes of braising.
Citrus finish
Squeeze a half-lemon over the greens immediately before serving to brighten the finish.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Discard the very outermost leaves if they look bruised or tough.
If the braising liquid tastes too bitter, add an extra pinch of salt to balance it.
Keep the stems; they provide necessary texture, but ensure they are sliced thin enough to cook alongside the leaves.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use curly endive instead?
Yes, though endive is generally more bitter and tougher than escarole, so increase the braising time by 5 minutes.
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