Name: Brown-Butter Creamed Winter Greens
Cook time: 1 hr
Total time: 1 hr
Yield: Makes 6 (side dish) servings
Ingredients: 3/4 stick unsalted butter, divided; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 cups whole milk; 2 tablespoons minced shallot; 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf; 6 black peppercorns; 3 1/2 pounds mixed winter greens such as collards, mustard greens, and kale; 6 ounces slab bacon, any rind discarded and bacon cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch sticks (lardons); 1 cup finely chopped onion; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, or to taste

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photo by Romulo Yanes

Almost every culture has an abiding, elemental hunger for greens, and in the American South, it's common to simmer a variety of them. Hopkins cooks his relatively quickly in a satiny béchamel. The nutty sweetness of the sauce rounds out the natural bitterness of the greens, thus lifting them into the realm of the spectacular. Think of this as a rough-around-the-edges version of creamed spinach, one with real backbone.

Cooks' notes:

·Béchamel sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, its surface covered with parchment. Stir before using.

·Greens can be chopped 1 day ahead and chilled in a large sealed bag.

Recipe notes

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

27 Times You Should Pick Brown Butter Over Regular
Why stick with plain butter when you can use the nutty, caramelly flavor of oh-so-delicious brown butter.
Hearty, Healthy Winter Greens
Don't subject yourself to root vegetables all winter long. Whether cooked or raw, dark, cold weather greens are far from boring.

Recipe notes

27 Times You Should Pick Brown Butter Over Regular

Hearty, Healthy Winter Greens