Sautéed Dandelion Greens with Toasted Almonds & Sheep’s Milk Cheese
This is more of a technique for coaxing out the sweetness from otherwise bitter greens than it is a recipe to follow religiously. As such, you won’t find specific quantities for ingredients - instead, you’ll find a thorough step by step that helps to develop flavor with minimal ingredients, with the intention of making you feel confident in seasoning sauteed bitter greens till they’re utterly craveable.
In my opinion, bitter ingredients need equally assertive counterparts to become palatable and truly delicious. Enter the synergy of garlic, chile and anchovy, mellowed ever so lightly with a touch of honey and a squeeze of lemon. Make them complete with a sprinkling of chopped toasted almonds and a crumbling of a savory, creamy and tangy sheep’s milk cheese, or enjoy simply as they are!
Ingredients
2 bunches dandelion greens
1 small spring onion, or 2 medium sized shallots, thinly sliced
2 anchovy filets, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 pinch red chili flake
Zest of one lemon, plus a squeeze of juice
A tiny drizzle of honey
Salt and pepper to taste
A big puddle of olive oil
A couple tablespoons of chopped toasted almonds
A crumbling of a creamy, spreadable sheep’s milk cheese (something comparable to chevre)
Directions
Gather your mise en place
Prepare the dandelion greens by removing the leaves from the stem. You can do this simply by placing your thumb and index finger at the base of the green’s stem, and assertively run your fingers alongside the stem to remove the leaves. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can use a knife. Finely chop the dandelion’s stems, and roughly chop the leaves.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add a big glug of olive oil - at least 2 tablespoons, maybe more. Add the sliced onion (or shallot), anchovy, and chile flakes. Stir to coat it all in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes. You want the onion to become soft, and the anchovy to melt into the olive oil.
Add the chopped dandelion stems to the skillet. Toss to coat, then season with another pinch of salt and pepper. Seasoning throughout helps to develop flavor like nothing else can. Add the zest of half a lemon, and cook for another 5 minutes or so. You want the stems to soften, but still retain a pleasing crunch. Taste the mixture now to make sure the flavors are balanced.
Add the dandelion greens to the stem and onion mixture. Add another small pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, till the dandelion greens have softened and their bitterness has become notably less assertive. When they are cooked to your liking, squeeze over a wedge of lemon, drizzle with a negligible amount of honey, and finish with another pinch of chili flakes and the rest of the lemon zest. Serve scattered with toasted almonds and a crumbling of a soft, tangy sheep’s milk cheese.
About the Author
Vilda Gonzalez is the Food Editor at The Thirlby, an avid home cook, and studying to become a holistic nutritionist. She is the founder and chef of Sol-Eir, an ongoing series of alchemized food and beverage experiences. Her mission is to rewire our collective relationship to what eating well truly means; with the highest regard of respect for our body, our community, and our earth. She believes that food should be delicious, flavorful, and indulgent, but it should also be deeply nourishing, regenerative, and inherently healthful. Vilda also works with individuals to strengthen their personal relationships with food through means of intuitive cooking and connection.
