Recipe of the Week: Peppered Greens with Lemon & Coriander

Just one of the many recipes we love from the part-cookbook, part-history of Pepper, these cool weather greens add bite to a weeknight meal.

Peppered Greens with Lemon and Coriander
Serves four as a side dish

White pepper gives this dish wonderful bite, balanced by the buttery juices and fresh flavours of lemon and coriander. When cut into ribbons and lightly steamed, the greens keep their colour and vitality.

2 heads spring greens, weighing about 1lb 7 oz. total
A generous knob of unsalted butter
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
3-4 tablespoons of coriander leaves
Large pinch of sea salt flakes
Freshly ground white pepper

Trim the base and tough stalks from the greens, including the part that runs down the middle of the leaf. Stack the leaves and slice crossways into broad ribbons.

Place in a steamer basket set over boiling water. Steam for 5-7 minutes or until tender but still slightly crisp.

Tip into a warmed serving bowl and stir in the butter, lemon zest and coriander. Crumble some sea salt flakes over the top, and then season generously with freshly ground white pepper.

Cook’s notes

White pepper plays a key role here, so try to use a good quality variety such as Sarawak creamy white or single estate Wynad. These have a clean bright flavour rather than the musty whiff of many unnamed varieties.

An alternative to spring greens would be a couple of pointy pale green cabbages. Runner beans are good too. Whatever your choice of greens, make sure they are full of bounce.

Pepper, by Christine McFadden. Photography by, Jason Lowe. Absolute Press, $29.95