From the menu of . . . Legal Sea Foods, 275 Baker Street NW, Atlanta,; 678-500-3700; www.legalseafoods.com
Q. I am a southerner who enjoys collard greens; however, recently I had them at Legal Sea Foods with a very different flair from anything that I have had in the past. Could you attempt to get this recipe for me?
John A. Cherry, Lithonia
A. The folks from Boston–based Legal Sea Foods were happy to share their recipe for braised collard greens. The greens are part of their most popular menu item, Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits: cheddar cheese grits topped with bacon-wrapped shrimp and served with these braised greens. The restaurant is in downtown Atlanta across from the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola.
Ida Faber of Legal Sea Foods sent us this recipe and wrote, “This dish has been a fixture on the menu since the restaurant dropped anchor [in Atlanta] in 2008. Besides being an accompaniment in the Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits recipe, braised greens are also available as an a la carte side dish. Credit is due to the culinary team in Atlanta who worked with executive chef Rich Vellante to develop the winning recipe.”
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put "From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
Legal Sea Foods Braised Greens
Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Serves: 6
1/4 pound applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 1/2 pounds collard greens, ribs removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch strips and rinsed
In a large saucepan, combine bacon, onions, garlic and crushed red pepper. Heat pot over medium high heat and cook until onions are translucent and bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Add stock, vinegar, sugar and salt and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in greens. You may have to add the greens in batches, cooking each batch until wilted down and then adding more until all greens are in the pot. Reduce heat to low and cook greens until tender, about 1 hour. Serve hot.
Per serving: 225 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), 14 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 11 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 16 milligrams cholesterol, 822 milligrams sodium.
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