Claire Criscuolo

Sautéed Escarole with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Serves

    6

Appears in

Welcome to Claire's: 35 Years of Recipes and Reflections from the Landmark Vegetarian Restaurant

Welcome to Claire's

By Claire Criscuolo

Published 2014

Escarole is a member of the endive family and it has big, dark green leaves with pale yellow inner leaves. My mother always reserved the inner leaves for salads. She would dress them with extra-virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice, add a little salt, and that’s it! Escarole has a mild, slightly lemony flavor and it is rich in vitamin A and fiber.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 large cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 2 medium yellow onions, cut in half, then into thin ribs
  • 2 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 large heads escarole or chicory, well washed and coarsely chopped

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallots, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes, the red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened. Add the escarole, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, then using tongs, turn the escarole to coat with the oil. Cover and continue cooking for about another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the escarole is tender to your liking. Taste for seasonings.

“Claire’s Corner Copia represents all that is wonderful about local businesses: Claire Criscuolo has a deep love for New Haven, a broad acquaintance with its people, and a strong commitment to the welfare of both. Claire’s both draws from and contributes to the strength of New Haven. It’s one of those places you return to when you want to recapture your times in New Haven, and one of the places you first go when you are getting to know the place. Claire’s is living proof that a business can be local, green, socially responsible, profitable, and cherished by its customers and business partners alike.”

-Abigail Rider, a Claire’s devotee

© 2014 All rights reserved. Published by Rowman & Littlefield.