This recipe was made to go with Crisp Pan Roasted Salmon, but will go with roast chicken as well as seared scallops, black cod, or pork chops. Leeks cook to a silky texture similar to escarole, and the earthy funk combines well with the slightly bitter escarole. Although the recipe calls for white wine or sherry vinegar, a white balsamic or a good quality red wine vinegar would go great here as well. If you do go with red wine vinegar, serve a red wine that has plenty of fruit, but also some tannins to match the vinegar and act as a foil to the rich salmon and the smoothness of the vegetables. You could also toss this with pasta or grains such as farro.
INGREDIENTS:
3 medium leeks, white and palest green parts only, cut into ¼-inch wide strips
1 head escarole, base cut off and chopped, washed, drained (some water remaining on leaves is needed for cooking)
½ tablespoon sugar, plus a pinch or two more
Light flavored olive oil or neutral flavored oil such as grapeseed, as needed
2-3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of dry white wine such as Chenin Blanc or grenache blanc
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons white wine or sherry vinegar
METHOD:
Heat a 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, film with oil. Add 1 tablespoon butter and as soon as it stops foaming, add the leeks, tossing to coat with oil/butter evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until leeks are tender and translucent, around 10 minutes. Watch them closely so they do not scorch. After 10 minutes add the wine and cook, tossing frequently, until the wine evaporates. Cook until the leeks are tender yet remain white. Remove from the pan and put into a non-reactive bowl and keep warm.
Sprinkle the pan-bottom evenly with the sugar. Wait for the sugar to caramelize. Be careful, since there is so little of it, it can go from caramelized to burnt quickly. As soon as the sugar has caramelized, add in the butter and swirl the pan so it combines with the sugar.
As soon as the butter melts, fill the pan with escarole. Use tongs to turn it in the sugar butter, running the leaves across the pan bottom to “scrape” up any sugar stuck to the pan. Add the 2 tablespoons of wine, and scrape the pan bottom to loosen any sugar. Turn the leaves of escarole in the butter/sugar/combination.
The escarole will wilt and the volume in the pan will shrink. Add the rest of the escarole and sprinkle with a pinch or two more sugar, then use tongs to turn the fresh escarole to the bottom of the pile. Cook, turning every so often, until the pile of escarole has wilted, and colored a little. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the leeks back into the pan and use tongs to turn the mess and thoroughly combine the leeks and escarole.
Drizzle in the tablespoon of vinegar at this point, using tongs, until everything has been run through the vinegar. The vinegar will add depth of flavor and a little tart/sour to the dish. Cook until most of the vinegar is gone and is starting to thicken. If you wish, add another tablespoon or two of butter to the pan bottom and swirl the pan until the butter has melted into a sauce. The leeks and escarole or ready to use/serve.
Chef’s Notes: You could add small cubes or matchsticks of nice sweet-tart apples like Granny Smiths. Add them early so they caramelize and soften, or add at the last to keep them crunchy. You could also use a peeler to shave a carrot or three into strips and cook them until tender, and add them into the escarole and leek to soften a little more at the end. The color looks good and the flavor is a nice foil to the earthy funky flavors of leeks and escarole.
Serves: 4 as a topping for protein or “sauce” for pasta or grains, or can be eaten as a vegetable side dish.
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
