Who would have thought the home of Scarlett O’Hara would give us the best-tasting collard greens ever . . . courtesy of a Mexican restaurant?
I hate to admit it, but I haven't always like collard greens. They were always too slimy or too bitter. I know, my Southern-ness is questionable now because I've also admitted in my first book, I don't like sweet tea.
I Suwannee! I may as well move to Wisconsin.
But . . . now things have changed.
Rachel raved about a this new recipe for greens and after a very long time, finally got me to taste them, and she was right! (always trust a good cook from the start). The recipe is from one of our favorite Atlanta restaurants, Taqueria del Sol. Chef and co-owner Eddie Hernandez came up with this new twist on an old favorite, and I’m a greens convert now. I hate to say Hernandez does greens better than my grandmother, but . . .
The original recipe is for Turnip Greens, but I used Collards, because I found a giant bag of them pre-washed and chopped at the Piggly Wiggly. I remember my grandmother standing at the sink and cleaning her collards and it seemed to take forever. If they're ready to go, I'm game.
These are honestly so good, I've become a collard greens lover. It's something about the spices and chicken stock that blend together and fight the bitterness and you don't have to cook them to the point of slime - and a benefit? They're one of the healthiest things you can possibly eat!
Here's the recipe. Enjoy!
Here’s the full recipe from Epicurious:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 (1-pound) bag or 1 pound cleaned, cooked and chopped turnip greens/collard greens
- 4 tablespoons margarine (I use real butter - no difference)
- 2/3 cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 2-3 teaspoons ground chile de arbol
- 1 1/4 cups diced tomatoes
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- Salt
PREPARATION
- In a very large pot, cover greens with 1 inch water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until just tender, about 45 minutes. Drain well. In a large pot, melt margarine. Add onions, garlic and chile de arbol and saute until onions are softened. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add cooked turnip greens and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.