Excerpt from Ari’s Top 5 enews
Super simple, seasonally appropriate, Spanish-style scrambled eggs
Thinking back to the radishes and butter I wrote about as an appetizer last week … one of my favorite things to buy at the farmers market this time of year are all the great turnips and radishes.
There’s a really small challenge that comes with them, though. The roots we eat generally come with the greens attached. I like the greens, so it’s very much a good problem. They’re really tasty and good for you, but the greens from a single bunch of radishes won’t amount to much on their own once they’re cooked. A few years ago, I realized that I already knew a really wonderful way to use the radish greens that’s ideal for the small volume scale at which I have them and takes under ten minutes to make. I put them in revueltos.
Relatively few folks on this side of the Atlantic will know revueltos. But we ought to. It’s another of those seemingly simple, but I think, significant dishes from Spain that are really good, yet have gone pretty much unnoticed over here. They’re generally described as “scrambled eggs” but I don’t think that really conveys the correct context. While revueltos are akin to an omelet’s first cousin, they’re made with the ratios of eggs-to-fillings reversed. So instead of a fluffy omelet with a small bit of stuff in the center, you’ll have a hefty amount of whatever you’re using—greens in this case—coated with just a bit of scrambled egg. You can make revueltos with almost any filling—sautéed zucchini, asparagus, chorizo, seafood, or just anything else. Whatever you use, the idea is to have that item be the main feature, and the eggs serve as the supporting cast.
To make the Revueltos with Radish (or Turnip) Greens, I coarsely chop the greens, then sauté them lightly in extra virgin olive oil. Add a pinch of sea salt while they’re cooking. When the greens have started to soften a bit, I’ll add a spoonful or two of water to help wilt the greens. When they’re soft (not mushy—just nicely wilted) I add the beaten eggs to the already hot pan. I’ve been using 3-5 eggs for a bunch of greens, but you can adjust up or down depending on taste and how many greens you want to use. Cook the eggs slowly, pulling the cooked part away from the edge. Don’t brown them. Slowly and gently turn them with the greens. They probably won’t take but two minutes to cook. You’ll end up with a nice bunch of greens tossed in egg. Add a small bit of sea salt and some black pepper. Pour on a little extra virgin olive oil. Eat! If you want, top them with toasted breadcrumbs. Or serve with a Zinglish muffin from the Bakehouse on the side.
The bottom line is that revueltos are an easy way to make traditional, full-flavored food without having to do a lot of work. Great summer dish since it’s fairly quick cooking and not too heavy. A little salad, some new potatoes, or sautéed asparagus on the side makes a great meal that’s well suited to the summer season!