Utica Verdi

Utica greens is a traditional Italian-American dish originating from Utica in New York. The dish is usually made with a combination of escarole, prosciutto, olive oil, cherry peppers, garlic, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The greens are blanched until nearly limp, plunged into an ice bath to stop the cooking, then drained. The prosciutto, garlic, and cherry peppers are sautéed in olive oil, and then mixed with the chopped greens and seasonings. A cup of grated cheese and the oreganato consisting of olive oil, breadcrumbs, and Parmigiano-Reggiano is added to the pan and stirred with the other ingredients. The pan is placed under the broiler until the top browns, and the dish is then sprinkled with more cheese and served immediately. Utica greens were popularized by Joe Morelle in the late 1980s at the Chesterfield Restaurant.