Collard greens braised with ham hock and doused with vinegar and hot sauce is such a popular Southern American dish that people often think the vegetable and the dish are the same thing. But to associate the bitter greens solely with the soul food staple is to ignore everything else the vegetable can do. In some households, children grow up eating collard greens on New Year’s Day to symbolize wealth in the new year, and in other homes, collard greens are a year-round delicacy served in soups, salads, or by themselves, seasoned in skillets. Whether you’re looking to try a new leafy green on your sandwich or sauté this vegetable as a side dish, our best collard greens recipes have you covered.
Colonial Philadelphia, with its busy waterfront, was well influenced by trade from points south. Among the most famous Caribbean culinary imports was pepper pot. The rich, spicy stew of beef, pork, root vegetables, and greens became a staple in Philly, where West Indian hawkers advertised it with cries of “pepper pot, smoking hot!” Today, at City Tavern, a colonial-style saloon, this version is served. Get the recipe for Pepper Pot »
Garlic confit, a silky, spreadable condiment, relies on a French technique for gently poaching peeled whole cloves in oil or fat. The process caramelizes the cloves and draws out their sweetness, yielding a sumptuous spread. We love to use it in dishes like these skillet-cooked greens from Linton Hopkins, chef and owner of Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta, which feature garlic confit and a piquant sorghum gastrique. Get the recipe for Garlicky Skillet Greens with Ham »
