Mama Lil's Zesty Collard Greens

A vibrant and tangy dish that combines the earthy flavors of collard greens with zesty pickled peppers, lemon zest, and Parmesan, finished with crunchy homemade breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

3	tablespoons mildly spicy pickled peppers
	Zest from 1 large lemon
2	ounces microplaned Parmesan
12	large collard leaves
2 to 2 1/2	tablespoons fresh olive oil, divided
1/2	cup dry bread crumbs, homemade
3 to 4	medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2	teaspoons red pepper flakes
	Salt
	Freshly ground black pepper
	Fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• 1. To create the bread crumbs, utilize Melissa Clark's method of grating dried bread in a food processor to achieve a mixture of coarse and fine crumbs.
  2. Prepare all ingredients and set up your workstation. Combine the chopped pickled peppers, lemon zest, and grated Parmesan. To prepare the collard greens: Fill a sink with cold water. Trim the stems of the collard leaves, then cut each leaf in half lengthwise. Rinse the leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt. Stack the leaves, tightly roll them, and slice into thin shreds.
  3. In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and toast until golden brown. Remove the crumbs and set aside. Wipe the pan clean.
  4. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant. Add the collard greens, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted. Stir in the pickled pepper, lemon zest, and Parmesan mixture. Adjust seasoning if needed. Finish with a spritz of lemon juice and serve on plates, garnished with Parmesan and breadcrumbs.

Jul 20, 2024