This Italian-American dish is from upstate New York and is great example of ethnic immigrant communities, in this case Italians, adapting local ingredients to create dishes similar to the old country. This interesting side dish is a flavorful combination of Roman favorites like fresh escarole, pickled cherry peppers, prosciutto ham, and Pecorino-Romano cheese. It makes sense that a Roman influenced dish would be found in American cities with names like Syracuse, Rome, and Utica.

Utica Greens

Utica Greens are a nice accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats and chicken. It is one of those side dishes that are surprisingly delicious and can outshine the main course, so be warned.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Appetizer, Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, American Mid-Atlantic, New York, North American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Ovenproof saute pan
Medium bowl

Ingredients

1 lb Escarole or swiss chard, rinsed and chopped
3 tbsp Butter
4 tbsp Olive oil, divided
6 cloves Garlic, minced
½ cup Onion, chopped
4 Pickled hot peppers, chopped (cherry or pepperoncini)
½ cup Prosciutto ham, thick slices cut into small cubes
½ tsp Dried oregano
¼ cup Grated Pecorino-Romano cheese (or good parmesan)
⅓ cup Chicken stock
1 cup Unseasoned breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Kosher salt
½ tsp Black pepper

US Customary – Metric

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Instructions

Prepare – Reserve 1/3 cheese and bread crumbs. Combine remaining cheese and breadcrumbs with oregano and black pepper in a bowl.
Cook – Melt butter with 2/3 the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add pickled hot peppers and prosciutto, cook 2 minutes more. Add remaining olive oil and drained greens to pan and mix well, cooking until the greens are soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from burner and preheat broiler.
Mix in cheese/breadcrumb mixture. Add enough chicken stock to moisten the greens. Adjust salt and pepper. Top with reserved cheese and bread crumbs.
Place pan under broiler for 4-6 minutes until browned on top.

Notes

Greens can be cooked to right before cheese-crumb-oregano mixture is added and refrigerated overnight. Dish can be warmed and the recipe finished from that point.