Collard Greens with Braised Turkey Legs

Collard Greens with Braised Turkey Legs

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
3 quarts chicken stock, plus more as needed
3 smoked turkey legs (thawed, if frozen)
4 bunches fresh collard greens, washed thoroughly
2 large yellow onions, chopped
3 tablespoons seasoned salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup hot sauce
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
1. In a 10-quart stockpot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the smoked turkey legs and cook on medium while you prepare the greens.
2. Remove the stems from the collard greens. Stack the leaves, roll them up, and cut them in half.
3. Add the collard greens and the chopped onion to the stockpot. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Sprinkle the greens with the seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, hot sauce, and sugar. Cover the stockpot and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the collard greens are tender. If the liquid starts to evaporate, add more chicken stock. “ Wow! When I was growing up, my aunt had a pot of greens on the stove every Sunday. All my friends and family would come over just to get a plate. When my aunt met Chef Max, he made some greens; and when she tasted them, she laughed and said to him, ‘Now I see why Amar’e needs you!’”

Note:
You can treat collard greens the same way as kale in terms of how to clean and cut them. And for this dish, it’s great to follow the tradition of adding a rutabaga for extra crunchiness. If you don’t have rutabagas, parsnips work well, too. Add one rutabaga or parsnip, cut up, when you add the collard greens. Buy the turkey legs in any supermarket—both fresh and frozen work.