Chef Jason LaIacona (Miel Nashville) approaches Southern cooking the way any good transplant should: with reverence, curiosity, and (respectfully) a little humility. He’s sharing his take on creamed collards, a refined riff on a beloved Southern dish that incorporates heavy cream as all good things should. These slow-cooked greens are historically eaten on New Years Day prosperity and good fortune, but they’ll make a worthy addition to any Thanksgiving table (including my own) this year.
“Being a native New Englander, my approach to Southern food/dishes is guided by humility,” LaIacona says. “Some of these techniques and recipes are older than the Declaration of Independence. I never set out to change a dish, thinking that I can make it better. I want to be respectful towards tradition and the process in order to learn and ultimately grow as a culinarian. The one principle that holds firm is getting ingredients that are grown and raised here in the South by some of our incredible Tennessee and Kentucky farmers. Starting there, it is hard to go wrong and even harder to replicate elsewhere. I believe it is the soil below and rain above that keep the history of this unique cuisine breathing.”
Here’s how to make them.
Creamed Collards
Ingredients
- 1 lb collards leaves torn, steps discarded
- 6 slices bacon chopped (beef, pork, slab, jowl, or even pancetta works)
- 1 white onion juileanne
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Water to cover
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large sauce pot, begin to brown the bacon over medium heat, taking care not to burn. When it is sizzling and bubbling, getting crispy, add the onions and begin to caramelize.
- Once the onions are soft and have taken on a bit of color, add the garlic and fry that until it becomes fragrant and takes on a subtle brown color.
- Add the brown sugar and stir it to a wet caramel, coating everything. Deglaze with the cider vinegar.
- Now add your greens and toss with the caramelized ingredients. Let that cook for a minute. Cover with water and throw in a pinch of salt (about 2 tablespoons). Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for about an hour or two. If the greens need more time and the liquid is reducing too much, to where the greens are settling on the bottom of the pan, simply add more water and stir.
- Once the greens are cooked through, taste your potlikker and add more salt if needed.
- In a separate pot or wide saute pan with deep sides, add the heavy cream and slowly reduce by half, careful not to burn or boil over. Once that has become thick, like the consistency of loose mayonnaise, pull out about half of your collards from the potlikker, being sure to strain well (you can add more potlikker if need be but it will be harder to reduce that out). Add to the pan with the reduced cream and toss well, adjust consistency by adding more cream or more potlikker. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Enjoy with some freshly crisped up bacon crumbled on top.
