White Wine Braised Mustard Greens

Ingredients

• 2-3 large leeks (about 4 cups total, tops and bottoms separated)
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ onion, julienned
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch black pepper, freshly ground
• 1½ cups white wine
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 2 large bunches mustard greens, roughly chopped
• 1¼ quarts vegetable stock or water
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 lemon (zested, juice half and cut the remaining half into wedges for serving)

Instructions

1. Prep Leeks (10 min)
1. Trim the roots and tough outer layer from leeks. Slice both the white/light-green bottoms and the darker green tops thinly.
2. To wash: Place the sliced leeks in a large bowl of cold water. Swish them around to loosen any dirt or sand trapped between layers. Let them sit for a minute, then lift the leeks out with your hands. Chef Tip: Don’t pour the water out — the grit will settle at the bottom.
3. Dry leeks thoroughly using a salad spinner or towels. Chef Tip: Damp leeks will splatter in hot oil, so make sure they’re as dry as possible before cooking.
4. Keep the leek tops and bottoms in separate bowls — you’ll fry the tops for garnish and use the bottoms in the braise.
2. Fry Leek Tops (5 min)

In a small pot or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the dried leek tops and fry until crisp and lightly golden.

3. Strain and reserve the oil (2 min)

Carefully strain the oil through a small sieve. Save this flavored oil for cooking the greens. Transfer the crispy leek tops to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.

4. Sweat the aromatics (7 min)

In a 6–8 qt pot, heat the reserved leek oil over medium-low heat. Add the sliced leek bottoms, onion, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become translucent, about 5–7 minutes.

5. Add garlic (2 min)

Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

6. Add tomato paste (2 min)

Add the tomato paste and cook until fragrant and coating the vegetables, about 2 minutes.

7. Toast the seasonings (1 min)

Stir in the chili flakes, minced ginger, bay leaf, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.

8. Deglaze with white wine (5 min)

Pour in the white wine and simmer until reduced by a little more than half, about 3–5 minutes.

9. Add mustard and greens (2 min)

Stir in the whole-grain mustard, then add the chopped mustard greens. Toss well to coat in the aromatics.

10. Add stock and tomatoes (15 min)

Pour in the vegetable stock (or water) and add the cherry tomatoes. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the greens are tender but not mushy.

11. Finish with lemon & serve (2 min)

Remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Top with the crispy leek tops, and feel free to add some more lemon wedges for serving!