Dig into bracingly bitter escarole
Prized in soups and pasta, this green can be braised as a side dish, or even grilled
Game of Thrones’ Ned Stark had it right before he lost his head: Winter is coming.
As we finish raking leaves, planting bulbs and putting away the patio furniture, it’s time to turn our taste buds from bland summer spinach to hearty greens that thrive in cool weather. That would be the chicory family: Belgian endive, curly endive, frisée, radicchio and my new favourite, escarole.
Like its cousins, this head of wide, floppy green leaves on crisp white stalks is bracingly bitter, so you probably won’t be tempted to make escarole salad any time soon.
But slip them thinly sliced into a salad of milder greens, dressed with a garlicky vinaigrette, and discover a new taste sensation.
The leathery, Old World greens also stand up well to cooking. They’re prized in soups and pasta, and can be braised as a side dish or even grilled.
Sicilian cooks prepare the leaves like cabbage rolls, stuffing them with robust traditional flavours of raisins, capers, garlic and pine nuts. Escarole is a great source of folic acid and fibre and some say it contains more Vitamin A than spinach.
Definitely fit for a king, in King’s Landing or elsewhere. Buy & Store
Longo’s is one store that carries escarole year-round.
With the Ontario crop ending, the Texas crop is on its way, says director of produce Mimmo Franzone.
Choose firmly packed heads with unblemished leaves.
Wrap in a paper towel and refrigerate in an unsealed plastic bag up to a week. Prep
Pull off and discard any dark green, wilted or damaged outer leaves. Trim base to separate leaves. Escarole can be sandy and needs a thorough washing. Swish the leaves in a bowl of cold water; any dirt or sand will sink to the bottom. Drain and pat or spin dry.
For salad, cut crosswise into fine strands.
For stews, sautés and pastas, chop the leaves crosswise as thick or thin as you like.
Sauté: Cut leaves into wide strips and sauté in olive oil, covered, until wilted and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add a splash of vinegar and serve.
Braise: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and add roughly chopped escarole. Cook, turning once or twice, then add sliced prosciutto, cover with stock or water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat, turning occasionally, until very tender, about 40 minutes. Uncover and turn up heat until liquid evaporates. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Grill: Remove toughest outer dark green leaves then cut through the core into halves or quarters to keep them together.
Soak a minute or two in cold water. Brush with olive oil then grill over medium heat about 10 minutes, turning and basting with oil occasionally until soft to the touch. Season with salt and pepper. Serve
Pair bitter escarole with other strong, rich flavours. Try bacon, gar- lic, anchovies, walnuts, walnut oil, sausages, chiles, apples, cheese, smoked fish, even duck confit.
Add wilted escarole to a lemony lentil soup.
Make a Caesar salad with strips of escarole.
For a refreshing winter salad, toss orange segments and cilantro with torn escarole leaves and a citrus vinaigrette.
Escarole, Sausage and Bean Pasta
Star Tested This classic combo will keep you warm on a cold night. I used Garofalo’s mafalda corta pasta and the crisp white Sauvignon Blanc I served with dinner.
8 oz (225 g) short whole wheat or regular pasta
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 2 Italian sausages (8 oz/250 g), casing removed
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced in press
2 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped sage
1/4 tsp (1mL) red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup (60 mL) dry white wine
1 head escarole, washed, trimmed and chopped (about 6 cups)
398 mL can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained 1 cup (250 mL) reduced-sodium chicken stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional) Cook pasta in a big pot of boiling, salted water according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage meat and sauté until it loses it pink colour, breaking up with the back of a spoon. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium and sauté onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, sage and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute. Add wine and cook 2 minutes. Add escarole and cook until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in reserved sausage, beans and stock. Season to taste and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavours.
Stir in cooked pasta until heated through. Top with grated Parmesan.
Makes 4 servings.