Michael Symons Green Gratin Recipes

WINTER GREENS GRATIN

Steps:

• Lightly butter a 3-quart baking dish. Working in batches, blanch kale in a pot of boiling lightly salted water until just softened, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer kale to a large bowl of ice water; let cool, then drain. Squeeze out as much excess water as possible by hand and transfer kale to a work surface.
• Repeat with mustard greens, blanching for 2 minutes per batch. Coarsely chop all greens and combine in a large bowl (you should have 6 cups tightly packed greens). Separate clumps and loosen chopped leaves by hand.
• Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crispy, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in Parmesan and 1 teaspoon thyme leaves. DO AHEAD: Greens and breadcrumbs can be made 2 days ahead. Cover greens and chill. Store breadcrumbs airtight at room temperature.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots; cook, stirring often, until slightly softened and light golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer shallots to bowl with greens. Add cream, milk, garlic, and thyme sprigs to same saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook until mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 10-12 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and garlic; stir in nutmeg. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
• Pour cream mixture over greens in bowl and toss to evenly coat in sauce; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer greens mixture to prepared baking dish; sprinkle Gruyère over. Top with breadcrumbs. Cover dish with foil. DO AHEAD: Gratin can be assembled 1 day ahead.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake until filling is hot, about 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is melted, edges are bubbling, and breadcrumbs are golden brown, 10-20 minutes longer. Garnish with remaining 1 teaspoon thyme leaves.

MICHAEL SYMON'S SLOPPY MIKES

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef with a pinch of salt and paprika.
• In a second pan add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and bacon. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add onion to pan and continue cooking. Add tomatoes and simmer for another minute.
• Transfer onion, tomato and bacon mixture to the browning meat. Stir to combine ingredients. Add cheese and stir to combine and melt. Note: If the meat is too dry you can add a little chicken stock to help moisten it.
• Serve Sloppy Mikes on potato rolls.

GREEK GREENS

Steps:

• Set up a grill for cooking with indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only. Place a heavy-bottomed enameled cast-iron pan over the direct heat side of the grill and add the olive oil.
• Add the onions, fennel and garlic with a pinch of salt and allow to begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until rusty, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with 1 cup water, scraping the bottom for any brown bits. Add all of the greens and season with salt and pepper.
• Cover the pan with a lid.
• Move the pan to the indirect-heat side of the grill, then close the lid and cook until the greens are wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the grill and stir in the dill and lemon juice. Serve.

SPICY POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large casserole dish with some butter.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste. While whisking, slowly add the milk in a steady stream to form a smooth sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking to prevent the formation of any lumps (be sure to get into the corners of the pan so nothing burns). Season with salt and pepper. Add the nutmeg and cheese, whisking until thick and smooth. Whisk in the pureed chipotles.
• Put the potatoes in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the cheese sauce and toss to thoroughly coat the potatoes. Evenly arrange the potatoes in the greased casserole dish, sprinkle with the bread crumbs, and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Uncover and bake until the top is golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

BRAISED GREENS

Steps:

• Heat a 6-quart casserole over medium heat. Add the bacon and duck fat and cook for five minutes to render the fat from the bacon. Add the garlic, shallot, and chiles and cook until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the greens, reduce the heat to low, add the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the greens down until they're tender, about 1 hour. Drizzle with the honey and mix well.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.