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.