Escarole with Roasted Shallots
Here is a great contorno, or vegetable dish, from Mario Batali’s The Babbo Cookbook. Escarole, a delicious chicory, refreshing and not as bitter as radicchio and arugula, is quickly sautéed and paired with roasted shallots. The shallots add deep flavor to the dish – roasting greatly transforms them and brings out their sweetness, which balances out the bitterness of the escarole.
I modified the recipe slightly by adding a bit of lemon juice and zest, for some acid to liven the palate. A teaspoon of chili flakes would also be nice, to add a note of heat.
Recipes like this one are at the heart of Italian cooking – vegetables cooked simply, dressed simply, and presented with nothing to distract from their natural quality.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: The Babbo Cookbook
4 shallots, trimmed and peeled
2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head of escarole, cored and roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Drizzle the shallots with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place in a small roasting pan. Roast until very soft and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, cut each shallot in half. Do not worry if the shallots start to come apart a little.
In a 12- to 14-inch saute pan, heat the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil over high heat. Add the escarole and shallots and saute over high heat until tender, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
