Recipe: Pan-Fried Collard Greens, from New York Times Cooking

Celebrate the holidays with these recipes courtesy of New York Times Cooking, specially chosen for "Sunday Morning" viewers.

We are pleased to share Thalmus Hare and Priya Krishna's Pan-Fried Collard Greens.

Collard greens are a mainstay of Liberian cuisine, brought to the country from the United States by formerly enslaved Africans. Here is a classic Liberian preparation that's spicy with habaneros (Liberia is known for being the "Pepper Coast" of Africa), and rich with the flavors of ham, turkey and chicken. Each meat brings a distinct taste, creating the base for a gravy that you'll want to spoon over rice. This is one of those vegetable dishes that's hearty enough to be a main, whether it's for Thanksgiving — which is celebrated in Liberia with foods like this one — or any other gathering. —Priya Krishna

Pan-Fried Collard Greens

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds collard greens, stems removed
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
• 1 pound smoked Cajun or regular turkey, preferably neck or wings, cut up
• 1 pound ham hock, sliced (see Tip)
• 2 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 to 2 habanero peppers, stemmed and halved
• 6 cups unsalted chicken broth, store-bought or homemade
• 1 tablespoon chicken seasoning base, such as Knorr or Better Than Bouillon
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 1 chicken-flavored bouillon seasoning cube, such as Maggi (optional)
• 4 ounces dried barracuda or other fish (optional), rinsed, skin removed and broken into chunks
• ½ cup olive oil
• Cooked rice, for serving

Preparation:

1. Wash collard greens in a bowl full of water with vinegar and salt. Drain and repeat if needed, until the water is clear. Roll the leaves up into tight bunches and cut into thin strips. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high, and add turkey and ham hock. Boil for 10 minutes, and then rinse and dry the meat. Clean out the pot.
3. In a blender or food processor, purée onions and peppers. Return the pot to high heat, and add turkey, ham hock, about three-quarters of the onion and pepper purée, along with broth, chicken seasoning, seasoned salt and Maggi cube if using. Bring to a boil, and cook until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup, about 40 minutes. Add the dried fish, if using.
4. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat oil over medium. Add remaining onion and pepper purée, along with collard greens. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted and tender, about 30 minutes.
5. Once stock is reduced, lower heat to medium, add cooked greens and cook, stirring well, for 5 to 10 minutes to incorporate flavors and thicken the broth. Serve with rice.

Tip:

Ask the butcher to slice the hock for you. If you can't find a ham hock or a professional to slice it for you, you can use other smoked pork with bones, such as smoked pork neck. Just watch out for any brittle bone shards in the finished dish. 

Check out the "Sunday Morning" 2021 Food Issue Recipe Index for more menu suggestions, from all of the chefs, cookbook authors, flood writers and restaurateurs featured on our program.

And head to New York Times Cooking for more delicious Thanksgiving recipes.