Roasting is my go-to method for cooking veggies – so why should a head of escarole be any different? I got the idea for roasting these greens from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating From America’s Farmers’ Markets. In her version, she uses a head of radicchio but any chicory will do. Roasting mellows out the bitterness and also adds some nice crunchy bits.
Here’s what I gathered to serve four people as a side dish:
- 1 large head of escarole, cut into quarters (or 3 heads of radicchio, cut in half lengthwise)
- 3 tablespoons of melted ghee or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Sunny Paris seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Balsamic vinegar
Here’s how I made it:
I preheated the oven to 400 F and grabbed a 9×13″ glass baking dish. I coated the dish with ghee before putting the escarole in a single layer. I drizzled the remaining ghee over the top of the greens and seasoned with Sunny Paris, salt, and pepper.
I roasted the greens in the oven for 15 minutes before flipping them. After an additional 8-10 minutes, the escarole was finished – tender yet crunchy on the edges.
Before taking the dish to the table, I drizzled on some aged balsamic vinegar.
I can’t wait to roast some radicchio, too!
