Creamed Collard Greens

• Recipe by Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing

This is the Rushings' Southern interpretation of French creamed spinach. The collards add a pleasant bitterness to this lush side dish, but it's important to shred them finely before you simmer them in the cream or they'll never get tender.

Ingredients

1. 8 pounds collard greens (8 bunches), tough stems and ribs removed
2. 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
3. 6 large shallots, minced
4. 4 large garlic cloves, minced
5. 1 quart heavy cream
6. Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
7. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Bring a very large stockpot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add half of the collard greens to the boiling water, a little at a time, and push them down into the water. Let the water return to a boil, then cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the greens to the ice water. Repeat with the remaining greens. Drain the greens very well and squeeze them dry in a kitchen towel, then finely shred.
2. In a very large skillet, melt the butter. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add the greens to the cream and toss until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Season generously with nutmeg, salt and pepper and serve.

Make Ahead

The creamed greens can be refrigerated overnight.