Venture beyond the greens suggested in this recipe. Young Swiss chard, lamb’s quarter, nettle or sorrel would all be fabulous substitutes for the wild dandelions.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ pound wild dandelion greens, washed and trimmed
- ½ pound spinach, washed
- ½ pound (1 small bunch) spring onions, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- ⅓ cup cream
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt, to taste
- 2 cups sourdough bread, torn into 1-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
Instructions
To make the croutons, heat up butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the torn bread and toss to coat pieces in butter. Cook, tossing frequently, till croutons are golden and crunchy outside. Add cheese, chili flakes and lemon zest; toss very well to combine and transfer to a plate. Reserve.
For the creamed greens, wipe out the pan you used for the croutons and heat butter over medium heat. Add chopped spring onions and jalapeño and cook till soft but not colored. Throw in the wild dandelion greens and spinach and cook till soft and wilted. Season lightly with salt and transfer to a chopping board. When cool enough to handle, chop the cooked greens and set aside.
To the same pan, add the cream and increase heat to medium-high. Simmer till cream is slightly reduced and thickened. Add milk and the cooked, chopped greens. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and nutmeg.
While greens are cooking, boil eggs in a separate pan. About 7 minutes makes a perfectly cooked egg. Drain and dunk the eggs in a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. Shell carefully when cool enough to handle.
Divide the greens among serving bowls, top with the eggs and scatter croutons across. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
