This is not your granny's Collard Greens. Cooking these collard greens in the slow cooker is a wonderful idea. Adding chardonnay makes them over the top delicious!
There are so many delicious ways to cook collard greens. For years I used a ham hock and that smokey goodness lends a great flavor to the greens. One year I honestly couldn't find a ham hock. I went to three different stores and they didn't have any. I did find some smoked turkey wings. I used those and I have never looked back. I love the flavor of the wings with the turkey and that smoked flavor is so unique to the dish.
I like to add chicken stock to my collards. I started using chicken bouillon because that was what I had on hand. I saw some chardonnay in the fridge one time while making the greens and I added it to see if it was good. It was wonderful so from then on I add it if I had it. It takes a while to cook collard greens. You cant rush them to taste great. This is a low and slow recipe. You cant rush it or your greens will be tough. You want tender greens that is why you need to cook them for at least 2 hours. Yeah you heard me 2 hours. Anything less than that then they are tough and no one likes tough collards.
This is where your slow cooker comes in. I love my slow cooker. It is the work horse of my kitchen. I can free up some stove top space and save myself some serious time babysitting something simmering on the stove. When you first start you will think that all those collards will not fit in the slow cooker, but they will. That bunch of greens cook down to nothing. Using the chardonnay makes that pot liquor over the top delicious! No worries, if the kids eat it the alcohol in the wine cooks out.
Also too, they make your house stink. One of the reasons why I never ate collard greens is because of the smell. If you cook them in the slow cooker they keep the smell down to a minimum. Even with the smell they are so worth it. You need to try these and tell me what you think.
Ingredients:
8 cups collard greens
1 smoked turkey wing
4 slices of bacon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 cups water
2 cups chardonnay
Directions:
Peace be with you,
Veronica