Name: Brown-Butter Creamed Winter Greens
Cook time: 1 hr
Total time: 1 hr
Yield: Makes 6 (side dish) servings
Ingredients: 3/4 stick unsalted butter, divided; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 cups whole milk; 2 tablespoons minced shallot; 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf; 6 black peppercorns; 3 1/2 pounds mixed winter greens such as collards, mustard greens, and kale; 6 ounces slab bacon, any rind discarded and bacon cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch sticks (lardons); 1 cup finely chopped onion; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, or to taste

Image may contain Bowl Dish Food Meal Tub Bathtub Plant Soup Bowl and Seaweed

photo by Romulo Yanes

Almost every culture has an abiding, elemental hunger for greens, and in the American South, it's common to simmer a variety of them. Hopkins cooks his relatively quickly in a satiny béchamel. The nutty sweetness of the sauce rounds out the natural bitterness of the greens, thus lifting them into the realm of the spectacular. Think of this as a rough-around-the-edges version of creamed spinach, one with real backbone.

Cooks' notes:

·Béchamel sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, its surface covered with parchment. Stir before using.

·Greens can be chopped 1 day ahead and chilled in a large sealed bag.

Recipe notes

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

27 Times You Should Pick Brown Butter Over Regular
Why stick with plain butter when you can use the nutty, caramelly flavor of oh-so-delicious brown butter.
Hearty, Healthy Winter Greens
Don't subject yourself to root vegetables all winter long. Whether cooked or raw, dark, cold weather greens are far from boring.

Classic French Bouillabaisse With Rouille

This flexible recipe is all you need to bring this iconic Provençal seafood stew to your table.

Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa

A savory-hot salsa made with mixed nuts (like the kind dubbed cocktail nuts meant for snacking) gives roast salmon a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

One-Pot Chicken Thighs With Cilantro Rice and Beans

This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.

Recipe notes

27 Times You Should Pick Brown Butter Over Regular

Hearty, Healthy Winter Greens