Coconut Braised Collards

Collard greens that are properly cooked are not pretty, but braise them long enough and their silky texture and flavor will surprise you.

Coconut Braised Collard Greens

Serves 4 side servings

Ingredients:

·        1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil

·        ½ large yellow onion, cut into ½” pieces

·        2 garlic cloves, minced

·        ½ Scotch Bonnet or Habanero chile, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

·        ¾-1 pound fresh collard greens (about 1 large bunch) stems removed and greens chopped

·        1 – 13.5 oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk

·        1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

·        1 tsp. kosher salt (or substitute lo salt)

·        3/4  tsp freshly ground black pepper

·        1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

·        Hot cooked rice

·        Toasted Coconut

·        Lime Wedges

Method:

·        In a 4 to 5 qt. pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic Cook and stir 5 minutes. Add chile (if using); cook and stir 30 seconds.

·        Add collard greens: cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in coconut milk, lime juice, nutmeg, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and ¾   tsp freshly ground black pepper. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until liquid has reduced to desired consistency, 25 to 30 minutes.

·        Serve collard greens with hot cooked rice. Top with additional grated nutmeg and the toasted coconut. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes:

·        Chile – Don’t be afraid to try adding some chile to this dish. I normally use one Habanero. The heat is not noticeable against the creamy coconut milk. If you’re reluctant, start with ¼ - ½ of a chile.

·        Coconut Milk – Another option is to substitute half of the coconut milk with vegetable or chicken broth. If broth is used, cut back on the salt added.

·        Consistency – the collard greens need to be cooked long enough to reach a ‘silky’ texture. Don’t be afraid to cook these longer to reach that stage. It’s worth the extra minutes.

·        Collard greens (and other greens) will cook down to a fraction of their original bulk.

Options:

Some cooks add 2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger to the other aromatics at the beginning of the process. Others have added 2-4 Tbsp Tamari to taste at the end of the process.

To make this into a one pot meal for two servings, add 2 cups roasted chicken during the final 5-10 minutes of simmering.