Spiced and Braised Greens

The first time I ever cooked greens this low or slow was when I was making my way through Suzanne Goin’s cookbook Sunday Suppers at Lucques. She has a recipe for Tuscan kale with rosemary that uses so much olive oil I thought it was a mistake. Now I know better. As the greens shrivel down to a more concentrated union, they become rich and almost chewy. I like using the Swiss chard stems as part of the aromatic base for this braise, and the mix of spices seems to season the leaves down to the cellular level.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

From the Market Swiss chard Spin It Mature spinach, any type of kale, or escarole can replace the chard (in which case, use a couple celery stalks or half a fennel bulb in place of chard stems) At Home Olive oil Kosher salt Garlic Coriander seeds Fennel seeds Ground turmeric Red pepper flakes Spin It Try caraway seeds instead of coriander Sweet paprika can replace the turmeric ¼ teaspoon cayenne can replace the red pepper Use Me Up! Add leftover greens to the egg mixture for a frittata, then top with grated cheddar before broiling. Try adding a few spoonfuls to a pot of beans toward the end of their cooking time. For a dead-simple weeknight dinner, reheat leftover greens, then toss with cooked pasta and a few splashes of pasta cooking liquid; season with lemon juice and top with fresh ricotta.

Step 2

Trim the woody ends of the chard stems, then cut the leaves from the stems. Cut leaves crosswise into ½-inch-wide ribbons, then wash and drain (some water clinging to the leaves is okay, but chard can be sandy, so be thorough). Very thinly slice stems crosswise; rinse if necessary.

Step 3

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium; add the chard stems and season with 2 teaspoons salt. (It will look like a lot of oil, and it is, but it’s a vital part of the braising liquid.) Stir to combine, then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stems are softened, shriveled, and light golden brown, 12 to 16 minutes. The shriveling and shrinking won’t happen until the moisture in the stems is cooked off; give it time.

Step 4

Meanwhile, smash the garlic. Crush coriander and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder until coarsely ground (alternatively, roughly chop them). Add the garlic, coriander, fennel, turmeric, and red pepper flakes to the chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally and pressing down on the garlic to break it into smaller pieces, until the garlic is soft and the spices are fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Gradually add the greens, tossing with tongs as you help get them all in there and coated with oil. Season with salt, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring every 20 minutes or so and lowering the heat if there’s any sign of scorching on the surface of the pan, until the greens are extremely tender, wrinkly, and very dark green in color, 1 hour. There will be a point when the liquid from the greens evaporates and the mixture will start to fry a bit in the cooking liquid, which is how you’ll know you’re at the end of the process.

Step 5

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Leftovers will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for about a week (see note at left).