There are side dishes and then there are Ottolenghi side dishes. Fresh from his new book, Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi, these wilted greens make a spectacular side dish for the Thanksgiving table and beyond– colorful and wild with flavor.
‘ “Serve with a side of greens” is a serving suggestion we’ve often repeated in Ottolenghi book history, and so this dish is the “side of greens” you can easily add to your weeknight dinners: tasty enough on its own, but humble enough to not take away from the main event.Feel free to swap out the chard for other leafy greens such as spinach, kale or cabbage.’
Ottolenghi’s Side of Greens
with Crispy Garlic
Serves 4, as a side
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
For the greens…
6 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 tbsp sumac, plus ½ tsp to serve
1 lb 10 oz/750g rainbow chard, stalks cut into 2-inch lengths and leaves very roughly torn in half
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dill leaves
salt and black pepper
For the crispy garlic…
3 tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Directions:
1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add the onions, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a good grind of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes, or until softened and browned. Turn the heat down to medium if they get too dark too quickly. Stir in the 1 tablespoon of sumac and transfer the onions to a bowl.
2. Return the pan to medium-high heat along with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the chard stalks and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until starting to soften and lightly color. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Now stir in the chard leaves, a third at a time, along with ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and cook for another 6–7 minutes, or until wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the lemon juice and all the sumac onions.
3. Meanwhile, make the crispy garlic. Put the oil and the sliced garlic into a small frying pan and place it on medium heat. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the garlic starts to turn golden and crispy. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the garlic and its oil separately. Add the raisins to the warm garlic oil and set aside. When cool, stir in the dill.
4. Transfer the chard mixture to a large platter with a lip and spoon on the remaining lemon juice. Top with the raisin mixture and sprinkle with the crispy garlic and extra sumac.
Crispy garlic tip: Double up on the crispy garlic chips and keep them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Save the oil you fry it in and keep it in a jar on your shelf for up to 2 weeks. The versatility of crispy garlic knows no bounds. Sprinkle it on the confit leeks with puy lentils and leek cream or the slow-cooked zucchini.
Adapted from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things Copyright © 2022 by Yotam Ottolenghi LLP. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Elena Heatherwick. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.
Read next: A Cauliflower, Pomegranate + Pistachio Salad From Ottolenghi’s Simple Cookbook
