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Make these sautéed greens, then try out our cauliflower fritters, corn ribs and more vegetarian starters.

Sautéed greens are a very traditional dish from the central Aegean part of Anatolia. At contemporary ocakbasi, The Counter, they’re given prestige treatment, served with a crunchy walnut croquant, cooling yogurt and tart sumac to finish. Some versions use a pepper paste to add flavour, but here sautéed fennel is used to form the base of the dish.

Ingredients

  • 50g sugar, plus a pinch
  • 50g walnuts
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
  • 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
  • 12 thin cime di rapa stalks (about 250g)
  • 12 Swiss chard leaves, stems removed
  • 100g strained Greek yogurt
  • sumac, to serve

Method

  • STEP 1

    Put the sugar in a pan over a medium heat. Melt the sugar for 4-5 mins or until it begins to caramelise and turn amber. Add the walnuts and coat them in the melted sugar before setting aside to cool. Once at room temperature, use a muddler or pestle to break the croquant into smaller flakes, sprinkling over a good pinch of sea salt flakes to finish.

  • STEP 2

    Put a shallow, wide pan over a medium heat and drizzle in the oil. Once hot, add the fennel along with a pinch of sea salt flakes and a pinch of sugar. After 5 mins, once the fennel starts to sweat, add in the cime di rapa, along with another pinch of salt. Next, add the swiss chard leaves with another pinch of salt and cook for 1-2 mins or until the leaves are al dente.

  • STEP 3

    Drain any excess water from the pan, before adding a dash of olive oil and plating up. Spoon over a dollop of strained yogurt, along with a handful of the walnut croquant and a pinch of sumac.

Discover more delicious vegetarian starter recipes

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