good collard greens recipe?


 

Phil R.

TVWBB All-Star
Today I bought and cooked some collard greens. I cooked them without a real recipe (just kind of gleaned info from the web) and they were absolutely fantastic. I just rendered some bacon, removed a lot of the fat (saved it, of course) then fried some shallot and garlic in the leftover oil. After that, I added the collards (hard spine removed, and chiffonaded) and sauted over med-high heat for about 5 mins...then added back the chopped bacon pieces. Delish!

I'm wondering if anybody else has a recipe they'd like to share for collards? (yes, I searched...
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Phil, I do similar. I do add some beef and/or chicken base. No salt is needed. Fresh ground black pepper and a pinch or two of coriander.
Often I mix collards and turnip greens.
 
Here's another:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Creamed Collards

Recipe By :Richard Emkey
Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time 0:5:00
Categories : Home grown side dishes
slow acting carb

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 c collards -- chopped
2 tbsps butter
1/4 c onion -- chopped
2 tbsps chives -- chopped
1 tbsp garlic -- minced
1/2 c cream
salt -- to taste
pepper -- to taste
1/2 tsp nutmeg

If freash collards cook for two minutes, if frozen thaw in microwave. Then chop and drain.

Chop up onions and chives.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, and add the garlic, onions, and chives. Cook until soft and fragrant on a medium-high heat.

Add the collards and cook until no liquid remains.

Add the cream and cook down to about half.

Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste while simmering on a medium low heat.

Serve hot.

Start to Finish Time:
"10:00"
Ratings : Really Good 0 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 276 Calories; 27g Fat (84.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 83mg Cholesterol; 148mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Vegetable; 5 1/2 Fat.

Serving Ideas : Great with fish


Hint: If you can find them, baby collards are as tendar and mild as spinach (leaves are about the same size).
 
I have a great brothy turnip greens recipe that would work with collards or a mix of hearty greens. I'll need to format it so you can make sense of it and will post ASP.

Meanwhile, if you do want to use a base, you might try a Ham Base. Quite good. I'd personally get some ham steak, dice it, saute it with the onions and garlic, and use that instead of the base, but the Better Than Bouillon base isn't bad at all. A pinch of clove would be a good addition too.

Rita
 
Collard Greens

2 slices of bacon,diced
1 cup diced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno diced
1 smoked ham hock
2 cups water
1 bag of washed collard greens
1 tbsp vinegar
1-2 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Saute diced bacon and remove with a slotted spoon when
it's crispy. Saute the onion and jalapeno in the bacon
grease until wilted. Add the garlic and ham hock and
cook 1 more minute. Add the greens and toss them until
they are coated in the flavored oil. Add the water,
vinegar and put a lid on the pan to let them steam.
Stir every 5-10 minutes for about 30 minutes. Add a
tablespoon of sugar to cut the bitterness and let them
cook another 5 minutes. If there's still some
bitterness, add some more sugar and cook another 5
minutes. When done, sprinkle bacon bits on top and
serve with a splash of hot pepper vinegar on top.


We like ours somewhat al dente. Go with the cleaned and bagged collards if at all possible. They generally use the "prime" pieces. Otherwise the real art is in selecting the right leaves and cleaning good. My grandmother would only yeild about 50% usable (in her opinion) from a head.
 
I do a similar thing. I simmer a smoked ham hock or two in water to cover for a couple hours, then remove the hocks. When cool, I mince the meat and reserve. Into the cooking water goes the collards, onion, garlic and hot pepper and I cook the greens till very tender. The minced ham hock gets stirred back in and the greens are served in bowls with the pot liquor, with cornbread, corn biscuits or cathead biscuits served alongside for dunking, and a bottle of pepper sauce on the table as well.

I also do collards with garlic and halved cherry tomatoes; with reduced fruit vinegar and caramelized onion; with pomegranate molasses and pecans; sith diced sweet potato, onion, garlic and roasted corn--many ways. For these, I blanch the greens first in plenty of salted water, rinse, shock, drain, then saute with the ingredients noted. When I cook greens for greens-lovers I blanch fairly briefly--maybe a couple or three minutes, depending on the age of the greens. When I do greens for people who didn't grow up with them or think they don't or wouldn't like them, I blanch much longer. Blanching removes the stronger flavor notes and it's those that some people find objectionable. Blanching greens first dramatically cuts down on the saute time and makes the sauteing go more evenly and smoothly. It will work for any hardy green--collard, turnip, mustard, kale, amaranth. Length of blanch time will determine final flavor. Baby greens and greens that are already tender--spinach, e.g.--need not be blanched though it's worth doing if a softer flavor is desired.
 
Great recipes all. I have a basically unlimited supply right now so I'll be trying them. I do, however, disagree a bit about the simmering. Maybe I just like the taste of the greens, but I have been really happy witht he taste/texture by just sauteeing them. It's peak season for them right now (at least around here) so maybe that's why the softer taste hasn't been needed.
 
I'm with you. In the South, commercial collards and other greens tend to be picked mature. Mature greens can take quite a while to saute, especially if you leave the ribs in as I do. Blanching briefly makes the saute time go quickly.

I only blanch for longer if I'm serving people who 'don't like greens' (yes, they're out there!). Of course, a traditional approach is to boil the hell out of them in ham-, hock- or bacon-flavored water (the pot liquor, or pot likker)--but then the liquor is served, the greens are velvety.

Whatever way you do them, eat and enjoy your greens!

(One of these days I'll post a kale and ricotta dumpling recipe I used to do as a first course at a restaurant on the Beach. With tomato-vodka-cream; really tasty.)
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
(One of these days I'll post a kale and ricotta dumpling recipe I used to do as a first course at a restaurant on the Beach. With tomato-vodka-cream; really tasty.)

Kevin, while kale is in season please!
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I'd love to try that recipe.
 

 

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