Another dish in the “I love to sauce vegetables with vegetables” category. Here, the earthy funky qualities of leeks and collards are counterbalanced with the sweetness of carrots. The carrots are cooked and milled to a consistency that is not quite a pureé, not quite chunky, but a good match for the silky leek and collards. Although the recipe seems long, the time to make is not, and it is a simple dish to prepare. The sauce goes well with other items such as cauliflower, grilled squash, chicken, pork, or fish.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch collards, stems removed, sliced into ¼ inch ribbons
2-3 medium leeks, whites only, trimmed and halved lengthwise, then sliced into ¼ inch ribbons lengthwise
½-1 tablespoon white wine vinegar*
2 cups of carrots, trimmed and cleaned, cut into ¼ inch thick coins
3 medium cloves garlic, left in their jackets
2-3 sprigs marjoram, thyme, or a 1-inch piece of tender rosemary sprig
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil as needed
Light bodied vegetable stock or water as needed
Sugar, agave, or honey, if needed
METHOD:
Place the carrots and garlic cloves into 2 quart chef’s pan/saucier or sauce pot with the herb(s) of your choice, and cover with water by 1-inch. Bring to a simmer and skim the surface of the water of any foam that comes up. Check the garlic cloves after 8 minutes, and then every few minutes until they are tender. Remove them once they are soft and reserve. Cook the carrots until tender, but not mushy- around 15-20 minutes. Remove from the water and cook the water down to a couple tablespoons. Remove the herbs and discard, add the carrots back in and toss to coat the carrots with the liquid in the pan, then pour into a bowl. Squeeze the garlic out of their jackets and onto the carrots. Reserve.
While the carrots simmer, heat a large sauté pan (12-inch) over medium heat. When hot, film generously with oil. When oil is shivering, add the leek ribbons and toss to coat with oil. Gently cook until leeks are very tender, about 10-12 minutes.
If the pan bottom is very dry, add a drizzle of oil, then add the collards ribbons, and using tongs, turn the greens to coat with oil and combine with the leeks. Season with pepper only, then lower heat to medium-low. Cook gently, turning occasionally, until the collards start to wilt. Remove from heat and keep warm, as you will be finishing the dish in a few moments, but do not want to fully wilt the greens just yet.
Back to the carrots; you will now turn the carrots into a slightly textured, rough sauce.** Transfer the carrots and garlic to a food processor along with any liquid. Add ¼-cup of stock or water, and pulse, creating a pureé that is not entirely smooth. Add liquid if necessary to get the sauce to move easily. If it gets a little too much don’t worry as you will cook this in the pan one more time. When all big chunks are gone, transfer the contents of the processor to the pan you were cooking the carrots in, and stir. Season with salt and pepper, and taste the sauce. If it is too thick, add stock or water. The consistency should be neither runny nor dense, but like a miso-dressing or very cold ketchup, so it will not slide off the greens when you fork them off. If it is too thin, simply cook down to achieve the thicker texture. Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. If the sauce is not sweet at all, add a little sweetener and stir in, being careful to not add too much. (You can always add more, but the reverse is not true.) Taste-you want to enhance the natural carrot flavor, not add sweetness as a component of its own. When flavor is balanced, place over low heat and keep warm.
To finish the greens and leeks; return pan to the heat and turn up to medium-high. Cook until greens are wilted/not raw, and hot. Drizzle with the ½ tablespoon of vinegar and stir the mess around. Season with salt and pepper and taste the greens. The vinegar should add a note of brightness but not be a pronounced flavor. If the greens need a little more “pop”, add the rest of the vinegar and stir in. Taste for seasoning one more time, ensure the greens are hot, and transfer to a serving platter or shallow bowl. Cover with the hot carrot sauce and serve.
Chef’s Notes: *Please use a good quality vinegar as this is the main seasoning for the greens, and there is nowhere to hide the flavor of a cheap/inferior vinegar. Although white balsamic or rice vinegar might be tempting, these are inherently sweet products, and you want something that will be counterpoint to the sweetness of the carrot saucer. **You can use a food mill or blender for the sauce if you do not have a food processor. The mill is likely to give you a more even result, although you might want to cook the carrots a little more-until you can crush one between thumb and forefinger.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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