Name: Brown-Butter Creamed Winter Greens
Cook time: 1 hr
Total time: 1 hr
Yield: Makes 6 (side dish) servings
Ingredients: 3/4 stick unsalted butter, divided; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 cups whole milk; 2 tablespoons minced shallot; 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf; 6 black peppercorns; 3 1/2 pounds mixed winter greens such as collards, mustard greens, and kale; 6 ounces slab bacon, any rind discarded and bacon cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch sticks (lardons); 1 cup finely chopped onion; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, or to taste

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photo by Romulo Yanes

Almost every culture has an abiding, elemental hunger for greens, and in the American South, it's common to simmer a variety of them. Hopkins cooks his relatively quickly in a satiny béchamel. The nutty sweetness of the sauce rounds out the natural bitterness of the greens, thus lifting them into the realm of the spectacular. Think of this as a rough-around-the-edges version of creamed spinach, one with real backbone.

Cooks' notes:

·Béchamel sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, its surface covered with parchment. Stir before using.

·Greens can be chopped 1 day ahead and chilled in a large sealed bag.

Recipe notes

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Recipe notes

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