Michael Lomonaco's Bitter Greens and Honey Almonds -

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Michael Lomonaco's Bitter Greens and Honey Almonds

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By Chef Michael Lomonaco

Posted January 3rd, 2008

This article is reprinted with permission from Nightly Specials: 125 Recipes for Spontaneous, Creative Cooking at Home, by Michael Lomonaco, (2004, William Morrow Cookbooks)

Nightly Specials: 125 Recipes for Spontaneous, Creative Cooking at Home

Servings:	4
Author Notes:	This recipe can be made with any or all of the following: mustard greens, collards, kale, escarole, or beet greens. It’s not just that eating these things are good for you, but that their rich, earthy flavors serve as counterpoint to fatty meats and protein, help the palate recover, and ready us for the next bite.
Ingredients:	6 slices bacon, diced 2 pounds mustard or other greens, well washed in several changes of cold water and chopped or shredded by hand into small pieces 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup whole almonds 1/2 cup honey fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:	Serves 4 As a Side Dish 1. Cook the diced bacon in a sauté pan over medium-low heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the bacon on a paper towel lined plate and set aside. 2. Cover the greens with cold water in a pot and cook until tender, 20 minutes for mustard greens, 90 minutes for collard greens, 10 minutes for broccoli raab, 10 minutes for escarole, and 15 minutes for beet greens. Drain the greens and set aside. 3. In a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the butter and add the almonds. Sauté until they start to brown, 3 minutes Pour in 1/2 cup water, then the honey. Stir and cook until the water has evaporated and the honey has caramelized and coated the almonds, about 5 minutes. Before the almonds become too dry, add the cooked greens and bacon, season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing and stirring to evenly distribute the almonds and bacon. 4. Serve at once. Nightly Specials (Variations) * Used smoked ham instead of bacon. * Add smoked fish, like mackehref, to the greens to make this a side dish to shrimp. * Used smoked turkey breast instead of bacon. * Use kale and Swiss chard together. * Finish the dish by tossing in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.