“This typical southern Italian combination seems the perfect match for its bright sunshine and life-loving people. Each ingredient provides something essential to the dish – the pine nuts give crunch, the raisins some sweetness, and the capers and anchovies a salty tang – but you can also substitute ingredients freely and still end up with something delicious. I sometimes cook sliced onions in olive oil before adding the escarole, coarsely chopped green or black olives can replace or augment the capers, slivered almonds or even pecans can replace the pine nuts, and the anchovies can be left out completely.”
1 large bunch escarole 2 Tbs. Raisins, preferably golden 8 anchovy fillets, soaked for 5 minutes in cold water and patted dry (soaking optional) 3 Tbs. Olive oil 2 Tbs. Pine nuts 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbs. Capers, drained 1 tsp. sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar, or more to taste salt and freshly ground black pepper
Trim off and discard the outermost dark green leaves on each bunch of escarole. Detach the inner yellow leaves at the base – cut away any tough section on their ends – and use a chef’s knife to cut them into 3-inch long sections.
Soak the raisins in a tablespoon of warm water for 20 minutes to soften them. Drain. Chop the anchovies fine until you end up with a coarse paste.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the pine nuts. Stir until the pine nuts turn very pale brown and you can smell their aroma, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic turns pale brown, and bout 2 more minutes. Add the escarole and turn the heat up to high. Stir until the escarole wilts and softens – you may want to reach in and taste a piece to see if it’s how you like it – for about 5 minutes. Stir in the raisins, anchovies, capers, and vinegar, sauté for 1 minute more, and season to taste with salt and pepper and more vinegar if the dish needs it. Serve immediately in a hot serving dish. - Updated: January 19, 2007
