Sautéed greens with smashed tomato and toasted nuts

Punchy, zesty and spicy, this side dish brings a different flavour to leafy greens from the way we usually prepare them in Italy. Serve alongside simply cooked white fish, and look out for datterini tomatoes—their sweetness works particularly well here.

Serves 4 as a side

INGREDIENTS

For the tomato sambal

1 garlic clove

3 mild red chillies, roughly chopped

½ tsp soft brown sugar

150g datterini or other cherry tomatoes, halved

2 small shallots, peeled and finely sliced (approximately 50g)

60ml extra virgin olive oil

75ml lime juice (approximately 3–4 limes)

Flaked sea salt

For the greens and nuts

60ml extra virgin olive oil

80g peanuts, ideally skin-on, or other nuts of your choice

2 small shallots, peeled and finely sliced

1 garlic clove, grated

2 mild red chillies, finely sliced

4 anchovy fillets

400g bietola, pak choi or other leafy greens

20g coriander

Flaked sea salt

Our olive oil choice: We use Tenuta Arcamone from the De Carlo family, a wonderful single-variety Coratina that pairs beautifully with the greens and spice.

METHOD

Using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic, chillies, sugar and a pinch of flaked sea salt. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, add the tomatoes and shallots, and mix.

Heat 60ml of olive oil in a small pan until the first wisp of smoke appears. Carefully pour over the tomato mixture, taking care as it may splutter. Roughly crush the tomatoes and shallots with the pestle, then stir in the lime juice. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Warm the remaining 60ml of olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the peanuts and fry for around 5 minutes, until golden. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little salt. Keep the oil in the pan.

Return the pan to a medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, chillies and anchovies. Cook for around 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and the anchovies have broken down.

Add the greens and cook for around 2 minutes, until just beginning to soften. If your greens have substantial stems, add these first and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the leaves. Cook until the leaves just wilt, then remove from the heat and stir in the coriander.

Arrange the greens on a serving plate. Spoon over a quarter of the sambal and scatter over all the peanuts. Serve the remaining sambal alongside.