Winter "Mangiafoglie" Classic: Escarole & Beans

It's actually pronounced Shcadole and Beans and it's not exactly pretty; the escarole gets a nice bright color when it initially hits the pan and begins wilting, but before long it turns a drab green akin to the soup Charlie's Grandparents ate in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory while the four of them lay in bed facing each other.  Hence the term mangiafoglie, or leaf eaters...there are ways to make it look better when plating, but this is just subsistence of one day, perceived as something downright tasty and diet friendly today.

Escarole can be hard to distinguish from other lettuces in the store, and can be eaten raw in a salad, but it's actually part of the chicory family.   Not so bitter though and it stays pretty crunchy in soupy applications, making it nice to bite into alongside tender, starchy beans.

In Italy it's called Scarola, and the type we often used there had more curly edges to its leaves, similar to the frisée we're used to here...just to illustrate that this dish can be done with a range of greens like Bok Choy, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard or anything else leafy and crisp that looks good at the store.  

I highly recommend starting with dried beans and cooking them yourself...the broth made from the beans and some aromatics you cook with them is sufficiently flavorful, and pays homage to what was originally intended by this combination.  Although I reach for canned beans all the time, I think by following my advice you'll realize that cooking your own beans opens a whole new slew of recipe possibilities.  And for me it just tastes better to do as much from scratch as possible.

It might not look like much, but this is a warming, hearty yet clean dish.  You can add some heft to it with pancetta, bacon, ham or sausage.  With its earthiness there's no reason I wouldn't plate a bed of this under a fish fillet like baccalá to go in a slightly different direction.  Any way you cut it, a generous glug of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil when serving takes it to the next level.   

Ingredients:
1 lb. of white beans (navy, cannellini, great northern)
2 cloves of garlic, halved, plus 4 minced
Herbs; a couple whole sprigs of rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage or any other that you like
3 large or 4 medium heads of escarole, roughly chopped and very well rinsed of dirt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
hot pepper flakes 
Optional: Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish

Prepare the beans by placing them in a bowl and covering by 2 to 3 inches of cold water.  Let them sit at least 6 hours or overnight, then drain and rinse.  Place them in a sauce pot or dutch oven and cover them by 6 inches or so with water.

Throw in the halved garlic cloves and herbs and bring to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer.  Don't add any salt yet.  Cook the beans for about an hour or until they are tender and cooked through.  Season with salt at this point and turn off the heat.

In another saucepan or dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and add the garlic cloves and a dash of hot pepper flakes, and let cook just until the garlic begins to brown.  Begin adding the escarole in batches, letting it wilt down before adding more.  Begin adding broth a ladle or two at a time and repeat as you add more escarole.  When all the escarole is in, add the beans and as much broth as you think is necessary, depending on how soupy you like it.  There should be enough bean broth and then some.  Let it cook another 10 minutes or so to meld flavors and then serve hot.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with some hot pepper flakes and that healthy dose of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and some grated cheese if you like.