Braised Escarole With Bread Crumbs And Parmesan
serves 4-6
In this dish, silky, slightly bitter escarole leaves are braised in white wine and finished off with a crunchy, savory bread crumb and parmesan topping. Serve this dish alongside grilled meats or tossed with pasta.
3 heads escarole, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
prep: 10 minutes
total: 25 minutes
large sauté pan with lid
small skillet
1. Prep all the ingredients. Rinse and dry the escarole well. Pull away and discard any damaged leaves, trim and discard the root end and coarsely chop the leaves.
2. Heat half of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When it's hot and shimmering, stir in the shallot and sauté until the it begins to soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Add the escarole and a light sprinkling of salt and the red pepper flakes. Cook until the escarole begins to wilt, 1-2 minutes. Add the oregano and white wine, then lower the heat and cover, simmering until the escarole is tender, 10-15 minutes. When the escarole is almost done, take the cover off the pan and let some of the liquid evaporate.
4. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. When it's hot and shimmering, toss in the bread crumbs and lightly fry until golden. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the parmesan. Sprinkle the bread crumb-parmesan mixture on the top of the escarole before serving.
