The Eldest Endive: Escarole
The History of Escarole
Featuring 3 Traditional Italian Escarole Recipies
What is Escarole?
Escarole is a pale green, and slightly curly green; that is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron, and antioxidants! Escarole has a crispy texture, even when cooked. Due to its mildly bitter taste, it can be used raw in salads with other greens or added texture into soups.
History of Escarole!
Escarole is a signature ingredient in Italian cooking. It is believed to be native to Sicily. It can be traced as a salad green, in ancient Roman documents written by the poet Ovid. Escarole, a part of the endive family is believed to be the eldest variety!
How to Use Escarole?
When cooked it can be sauteed, braised, stir-fried, or added to soups and stews. Due to its bitter taste, it pairs well with salty rich meats like prosciutto! It also pairs well with numerous fresh ingredients such as apples, white beans, shallots, and toasted pecans; to name a few.
3 Classic Italian Escarole Recipies to Try this Winter
Escarole & Beans
Serves 4; 50 minutes
Ingredients
2 heads of escarole, washed, cut up
1 can cannellini beans (or dry white kidney beans soaked overnight)
4 large cloves of fresh garlic
1/2 to 1 whole hot cherry pepper (or red pepper flakes)
olive oil - coat the bottom of the pan
Italian bread to serve with
Optional: 1/2 stick dry pepperoni sliced thin
salt & pepper to taste
HOW2
Over low heat, gently sauté cherry pepper, pepperoni, and chopped fresh garlic. Add the garlic last, do not burn the garlic.
Add escarole and continue to sauté a few minutes to allow the escarole to wilt down.
Add enough water to just cover the wilted escarole and season with salt & pepper.
Cook slowly about 15 min.
Add the beans.
Continue to cook slowly about 30 min more.
Tear up a few pieces of Italian bread and place them at the bottom of a soup bowl.
Ladle the escarole & beans over the bread and "mash" it a bit.
My favorite way to enjoy this dish! It's incredibly tasty!
Escarole Imbottita
Serves 2; 40 Minutes
Ingredients
1 head of escarole
4 oz breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2-4 fillets of anchovies
1/2 cup Italian flat parsley finely chopped
1 Tblsp small capers
2 Tblsp Kalamata olives, chopped
2 Tblsp raisins
2 Tblsp pignoli (pine nuts)
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
kitchen string
HOW2
Remove tough outer leaves and hard base of escarole - but keep whole.
Blanche 30 seconds in boiling water.
Saute garlic in a little olive oil (don't burn)
Add parsley, olives, capers, anchovies, about 2/3 cup breadcrumbs, pine nuts, and raisins; stir until blended.
With a paper towel, pat dry the blanched escarole.
Gently open leaves and sprinkle mixture over leaves then tie the bundle with kitchen string.
Grease an oven dish with the olive oil
Place the stuffed escarole in the dish and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
Uncover and continue baking for about 10 minutes until the water evaporates.
Serve Hot!
PERFECTO!
Escarole Soup with Little Meatballs
Serves 6; 30 Minutes
Ingredients
10 cups chicken stock (yours or canned)
1 large head of escarole, washed, torn
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/3 cup grated Ramano cheese
salt & pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
HOW2
Bring chicken stock to a simmer
Add escarole.
In a separate bowl, blend ground beef, Ramano cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder
Roll the mixture into tiny meatballs, dropping them into the soup as you go.
Once the meatballs float & cooked to the desired tenderness serve hot with a sprinkle of ramono cheese.
This is our Italian American’s families favorite holiday soup!
