My father is growing kale in his veggie garden as I type, his conundrum is how to prepare it when it is fully grown. Not being a juice man, he asked me and I had to think – and think hard.
Kale is part of my daily ‘greens’ intake but aside from blending it with some like-minded vegetables and fruit, I really do not do that much with it.
And then I remembered my stuffing from last Thanksgiving – Suzanne Goin’s sensational Kale Dressing (which is basically a stuffing so that is what I am going to call it). This particular dish requires a good amount of slow cooked kale, which is so incredibly tasty on its own that I would quite happily eat a bowl of it for dinner.
And all of this seems very apt because it is Thanksgiving tomorrow and it is one of my most favorite celebrations. It is an occasion that embraces us all – no matter what your ancestry or religion. So happy Thanksgiving and and happy Kale eating!
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more
1 pound Tuscan kale (about 2 bunches), center ribs and stems removed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 sprig rosemary
1 dried chile de árbol, broken into 4 pieces
1 cup sliced yellow onion
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rapid boil over high heat. Working in 2 batches, blanch kale for 2 minutes. Drain, let cool, and squeeze out excess water with your hands. Coarsely chop; set aside.
Heat a large pot over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup oil, rosemary sprig, and chile. Let sizzle, shaking pan often, for about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; add onion. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often; stir in garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft and starting to brown, 5-7 minutes.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and kale; stir to coat. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often, until kale turns almost black and is slightly crisp at edges, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Discard rosemary and chile.
Source: Suzanne Goin
Notes: Perfect on its own or as a side dish to a nice steak. Even better as an integral ingredient in Suzanne Goins Kale Dressing.
© 2014, Michelle. All rights reserved.
