Mustard greens are a popular staple in American Southern and soul-food cooking. The leaves have a bitter, peppery flavor similar to yellow mustard and they cook very quickly. Some traditional soul-food recipes may boil the greens with bacon, salt pork or a ham hock. You can also blanch the greens, which mellows the flavor. Blanching is similar to par-boiling in that you immerse the food in boiling water for a short period. The difference is that, with blanching, you then submerge the food in an ice bath.
Step 1
Fill the pot three-quarters full with cold water and add a salt to taste. Put the pot on your stove top and bring the water to a boil.
Step 2
Rinse the mustard greens under cold water and cut off the ends. Mustard greens will wilt and reduce by half to two-thirds as they cook, so the amount you use is up to you.
Step 3
Drop the mustard greens into the boiling water. Let them boil for one to two minutes, or until the color brightens.
Step 4
Fill a large bowl two-thirds full of water and add several ice cubes. The bowl should be large enough to accommodate the colander. Add enough ice to make the water very cold but still leave room for the colander.
Step 5
Pour the cooked greens into the colander. Dip the colander into a bowl of ice water and swirl to stop the cooking process.
Tips and Warnings
- Once you have blanched the greens, you can use them in another recipe, or eat them as is. If you plan to eat the greens as is, add a splash of lemon juice to the ice bath.
Things You'll Need
- Large pot
- Water
- Salt
- Mustard greens
- Bowl
- Ice
- Colander
References
- Harvest to Table; How to Cook Mustard Greens; Stephen Albert; Feb. 29, 2008
- "On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (5th Edition)"; Sarah R. Labensky, et al.; 2010
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