Anchovy

Simple, Savory Greens

by:
June 22, 2011
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0 Ratings
Simple, Savory Greens
  • Serves 2-4
Author Notes

Anchovies, garlic, and tomato paste: any food that gets treated by this savory trifecta tastes better than you think it should.

I used to just chop up my greens and throw them in the sauté pan, but Marcella Hazan converted me to the blanching-first method. It's an extra step, but it produces much more flavorful results. Without it, the greens give off so much water when they hit the pan that it dilutes the flavor. Which would be a shame, because these are really good flavors. —linzarella

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 large bunch greens, any kind, but my favorites with this recipe are rapini, collards, or spinach.
  • 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons dried currants, rehydrated in hot water for 15 minutes, drained
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 lemon, preferably meyer, quartered
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, wash your greens and cut into thin strips. When water boils, add a generous pinch of salt, add the greens, and boil for 1-3 minutes, depending on how tender they are. Strain and use a wooden spoon to force out as much water as possible.
  2. Set a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well-browned. Then remove cover, reduce heat to medium, and add olive oil. Scrape up any onion bits that may have stuck to the pan.
  3. Add garlic, anchovies, tomato paste, currants, and a pinch of salt, and stir until well combined. Let cook for about a minute.
  4. Add the greens, and stir well to combine with garlic-onion mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the lemon wedges.
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5 Reviews

editrix
editrix March 15, 2012
I made this last night and was blown away! The bunch of collards that came in my CSA was medium-sized at most, so I added in some broccoli florets when I blanched the greens. My husband and I loved the combination of flavors. Thanks for a new (and vegetarian) method for preparing healthy greens!
 
linzarella
linzarella March 15, 2012
So glad you like it! And glad it's still good as vegetarian - I'm assuming you left out the anchovy?
 
editrix
editrix March 16, 2012
Oh, heh -- luckily, I'm omnivorous and he's a pescatarian, so the anchovies were GO! I should have been clearer -- it's hard to find a flavorful greens recipe that doesn't use bacon or pancetta for umami goodness.
 
gingerroot
gingerroot September 8, 2011
This sounds delicious.
 
HCR
HCR July 4, 2011
yum.