CREAMED COLLARDS

CREAMED COLLARDS

Creamed Collards

8 to 10 servings

4 lb. Fresh collard greens

1 lb. Bacon, chopped

1/4 cup butter"]

2 onions, diced

3 cups chicken broth

½ cup cider vinegar

1 tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Pepper

Bechamel Sauce

Rinse greens. Trim and discard thick stems from bottom of collard green leaves. Coarsely chop collard greens.

Cook bacon, in batches in a stock pot over medium heat about 10 12 minutes or until just crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in the stock pot. Add butter and onions to dripping in skillet. Add butter and onions to dripping in skillet. Saute onions till tender, about 8 minutes. 

Add collards to pot and cook, stirring occasionally 5 minutes or until wilted. Stir in broth, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add all but 1/4 cup bacon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally until as tender as you like-about 15 minutes. 

Drain collards, reserving 1 cup of the broth-use the rest for soup or drink it. Stir in bechamel sauce add the reserved cooking liquid 1/4 cup at a time to reach desired consistency. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the reserved 1/4 cup bacon.

Use the packaged already trimmed and chopped collards if you like, they usually come in 1 lb. Packages, use two of them.

Bechamel:

½ cup butter

1 medium French Shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup flour

4 cups milk

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Melt butter. Add shallots and garlic and saute 1 minutes. Whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute, whisking. Increase heat to medium. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking 5 to 7 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly, add salt and pepper and nutmeg.

Oyster Dressing:

Your favorite cornbread/bread dressing. Use liquid from oysters as well as broth to moisten it. Add a pound of chopped oysters and half a cup of parmesan or Romano cheese. C’est tout!