BRAISED STUFFED ESCAROLE

I AM ALWAYS apologizing for my sporadic writing habits but things have simply slipped away from me these days. It's not that I haven't wanted to write but a host of issues prevail (still!), including the ubiquitous horror of moving (happening soon). More on that when it happens!

In any event, I first want to talk about a fantastic cookbook I found in the New York Public Library one day (I often cull through the shelves there to find little gems of knowledge). The cookbook is named Bocca, after the eponymous restaurant in London run by a young chef named Jacob Kenedy. His cookbook is by far, one of the most fascinatingly interesting cookbooks I have read in a long time. It is comprehensive in scope and doesn't shy away from the derring-do of an innovator. He remains classic in many ways, but his manner and style are truly refreshing. It isn't fussy; it's real. His chapter on gelati alone is worth the price of the book (I bought mine on Amazon for $20.00 - RETAIL: $35.00). In fact, I must apologize once more for not acknowledging him in my gelato blog as most of the basics were gotten from his book. 

But today, I want to talk about the hearty escarole. Escarole is a rather bitter green and is related to the endive family - chicory in particular - which explains its dense texture. Even though it is terrific in a salad, it is much better when cooked. My grandmother used to make escarole soup with chicken broth, garlic and basil. It was delicious. Stuffing it with raisins, pine nuts, garlic and anchovies, however, brings it to a completely new level. One night, when I had leftover meatballs, I chopped those up and put them into the stuffing mixture as well. They sort of melted into this fantastic texture and one couldn't really tell it was a meatball at all. I'm sure that one could improvise and put some cheese into the mix as well but I wouldn't stray too far afield of the 3-4 ingredient rule in Italian cooking. Troppo fantasia as they would say in Rome!

Serves Four

1 head escarole (the largest you can find)

4 cloves garlic (smashed and minced)

1 can anchovies (I drizzle the oil from the can all over the inner leaves)

4 heaping tbs. pine nuts

1/2 cup raisins

Extra virgin olive oil

2 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Plenty of butcher's twine

Take one large head of Escarole and open it up completely on a large table or work surface (in my experience, rinsing the outer leaves under the faucet should suffice, but if you want, open the head without letting any leaves break off and immerse it in a sink full of cold water).

Spread out the leaves as flat as you can and sprinkle on the raisins, garlic and pine nuts. Strew the anchovy filets around the center of the escarole and work your way out about half way drizzling the oil as you go.

Close the escarole with your hands to make a large bulb. Take the twine and tie the tip of the escarole closed and while holding the tip, tie the twine tightly around the top and start to tie the bulb until you have twine encircling the entire escarole. Change directions and take the twine and tie lengthwise twice and tie the ends to enclose the entire head.

Heat a medium-sized round or oval metal casserole dish with cover or a Dutch oven Le Creuset is best for this) and pour enough of the olive to cover the bottom. Lightly salt and pepper the escarole and sauté the escarole all over until it is bright green and the outer edges have begun to wilt. Strew any of the leftover raisins and anchovy into the pot.

Pour about one cup chicken stock into the pot, bring to the boil and then lower the heat to a bare simmer and cover. Cook on a very low flame for about 2 hours, adding more liquid, if necessary. There will be rather a lot of shrinkage. When the  escarole is ready, remove from pot, remove all twine and cut into quarters. Serve immediately.

Buon appetito!