Today, we are talking about sautéed escarole, a delicious and versatile side dish to pair with meat or fish; or to use as a filling for sandwiches, pizzas, and savory pies. In my house, there isn’t just one way to serve them; sometimes, I add pine nuts, raisins, and chopped walnuts to the basic recipe with olives, while other times, capers and anchovies in oil. Sautéed escarole, in addition to being very tasty, is also easy to prepare and can be enjoyed hot or cold.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs escarole (endive)
- 3.5 oz Gaeta black olives
- 3.5 oz green olives
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste fine salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 10 capers in salt (optional)
Steps
Remove all spoiled leaves from the escarole; then wash the remaining leaves thoroughly, removing dirt and other impurities; finally, break them into three parts.
Transfer the leaves to a large, tall pot with half a glass of water. Cover the pot and, over high heat, let them stew without adding anything else. This step is crucial to eliminate part of the typical bitter taste of this vegetable.
After five minutes, use a large fork to turn the escarole in the pot, bringing the leaves from the bottom to the top to allow them to stew evenly.
When you notice that the initial volume has been reduced by almost half (note that the escarole should not be fully cooked but only reduced in volume), turn off the heat and drain all the liquid in the pot. It will take about 10-12 minutes in total.
In the meantime, pit the black and green olives. Rinse the capers under running water and pat them dry with kitchen paper towels.
In a large skillet, sauté the olives, capers (optional), and a clove of garlic in its skin in extra virgin olive oil, over low heat.
At this point, if you like, you can also add two or three anchovy fillets in oil, which will completely dissolve in the cooking oil.
When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the escarole (make sure there’s no cooking liquid), mix well, add salt (if you’ve added capers or anchovies in oil, taste to avoid ending up with a dish that’s too salty), mix again, cover, and let cook for about 10-15 minutes, checking the cooking and stirring occasionally.
The escarole is cooked when the white stalks are tender to the taste.
Extra idea. Another way to season the escarole is to add, besides the olives, some raisins (one heaping tablespoon is more than enough), chopped walnuts, and pine nuts, to taste.
