Wilted Escarole Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss bread and 3 tablespoons oil on a large rimmed baking sheet, squeezing bread so it absorbs oil evenly; season with salt and pepper. Spread out bread pieces in an even layer and bake, tossing occasionally, until crisp on the outside but still chewy in the center, 10-15 minutes. Let croutons cool.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add anchovies and, using a spoon, mash into oil. Add red pepper flakes and remove skillet from heat. Add vinegar, scraping up any bits; season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
• Just before serving, toss escarole, croutons and warm vinaigrette in a large bowl until escarole is slightly wilted; season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired.
• DO AHEAD: Croutons and vinaigrette can be made and escarole can be prepped 1 day ahead. Store croutons wrapped airtight at room temperature. Let vinaigrette cool; cover and chill. Gently reheat vinaigrette before using.

Steps:

• Escarole is a winter green my father served to me raw in a salad. I always struggled with the underlying toughness of the leaves. I would smile and gulp down a lot of water while eating them! My favorite treatment for them now is to drop them in a hot pan with a splash of olive oil and a touch of chili flakes. The "fork-garlic clove" trick adds a nice, light garlic flavor! They will lose a lot of volume so don't be afraid to overload the pan and watch it wilt. Cook for only a few minutes and serve immediately.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the escarole and season lightly with salt and chili flakes. Cook the escarole, stirring, from time to time, with the fork, until they are completely wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. This will allow a "hint" of garlic to touch the greens without overwhelming them. Drain and discard any liquid. Transfer the leaves to a kitchen towel and dry them off, slightly, before transferring them to a platter. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Remove the tough outer leaves of the escarole and twist from the core, discard. Wash in a deep bowl filled with very cold water and swish around until all the dirt has rested on the bottom of the bowl. Lift the leaves from the bowl and spin dry in small batches in a salad spinner.
• Heat the butter, oil, and pepper flakes in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the escarole and stir until just wilted. Add the remaining escarole and cook until softened but still has a little crunch. Season with the salt and serve.
• Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• Cook bacon until crisp; remove witha slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Reserve 3 tablespoons of the drippins. Cut or tear endive from center stalk. Discard the stalks.
• In a large saucepan, bring water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Add endive; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain.
• Stir in bacon, reserved drippings, vinegar, onion, pepper and remaining salt. Mix well and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-low heat with garlic and anchovy. Cook together 3 to 4 minutes to infuse garlic into oil.
• Remove the garlic cloves and stir oil to mix in the melted anchovies and add the red pepper flakes.
• Raise heat to medium-high. When oil ripples or begins to waft smoke, add greens and stir fry them 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over the greens, toss, and serve.

Steps:

• Cut escarole into 1 1/2-inch wedges, leaving base intact. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium; add a few wedges and cook, turning, until escarole is wilted and light brown on all sides, 3 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a platter. Repeat twice with more oil and remaining escarole. Top with walnuts and blue cheese; drizzle with lemon juice, if desired.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high. Add shallot and season with coarse salt and ground pepper; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add apples and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cider vinegar. In a large bowl, toss escarole, roughly chopped, with apple mixture; season with salt and pepper.