Holiday Entertaining 2000: Cooks on an Island


  Braised Winter Greens With Roasted Beets and Cipollini Onions

The Chef
GERRY HAYDEN of Aureole

Servings
Serves ten.

Ingredients
3 bunches purple kale
1 bunch red Swiss chard
2 bunches mustard greens
2 bunches small golden beets, with tops
2 bunches small red beets, with tops
2 bunches small chiogga beets, with tops
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 cipollini onions, peeled
4 ounces (1 stick) salted butter
3 shallots, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chives, chopped

Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Submerge the kale, chard, mustard greens, and beet greens in water, and agitate to remove any dirt. Drain greens; cut out large ribs, and tear leaves into large pieces.

Wash the beets and place in an ovenproof dish, coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish with foil and roast for about 11/2 hours or until the beets give no resistance when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven, and let cool. Peel and quarter the beets, keeping each variety separate. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pan, add onions, and sauté over medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown. Place pan in oven and cook until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve. (Recipe may be prepared to this point one day in advance.)

In a large, shallow, heavy-bottomed saucepan, lightly brown the butter over medium-high heat, stir in the minced shallots, and sweat them. Add all the greens to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and stir until all the greens are coated with butter. Cover and reduce heat to medium. After two minutes, remove the lid; the greens will have rendered some of their liquid and wilted. Add the chiogga and red beets to the greens with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and heat the beets. Add the golden beets and cipollini onions next, heat, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the roasted beets and winter greens onto a decorative platter, and garnish with chopped chives.

Recommended Wines
1997 Millbrook Proprietor's Special Reserve Chardonnay Hudson Valley
1997 Miles Vineyards Pinot Noir Finger Lakes

Best With
Scallop-Stuffed Crown Roast of Veal with Parsnips and Popovers and Autumn Squash in Maple, Vanilla, and Pomegranate Molasses.