If greens were meat, winter kale would be the hangar steak. It's not like spinach (the filet, if we're sticking to our analogy), which takes mere seconds to melt down quickly in a pan. No, some tough, curly leaves of kale need a little tenderizing, a little time. And that's why we like to boil ours...
There's been some chatter around the food blogs lately, after Molly at Orangette wrote about her love of boiled kale served with a fried egg.
Read her post here: Boiled Kale with a Fried Egg and Toast
We were happy to see it, because that's our preparation of choice, too. We've tried sautéeing kale in olive oil, but it never quite reaches the tenderness we love. Somehow it's sweeter when it's softer, and boiling it for 20 or so minutes (depending on how much kale, of course) leaves it limp but not mushy. You still feel the fluffy curls of the leaves in your mouth and get a nice chewiness.
We don't bother cutting the leaves into strips; we just tear it with our fork (or teeth) once it's cooked. And we toss it with plenty of salt, pepper, and olive oil. Try it. It's incredibly nutritious, too—full of Vitamins A and C.
Do you eat kale like this?
Related: Recipe: Cavolo Nero Kale (another technique: steaming, then serving with tahini and lemon juice)
(Image: Flickr member limonada, licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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I guess my prep would be more akin to braising. I saute it in olive oil, but I add a little water--and keep adding water as it cooks out until it gets to the desired tenderness. I like it to just barely get to dark green. With boiling, you lose nutrients!
I second what ValHalla said. Plus that way you can cook it up with some garlic & onions!
Mmmm I like the braising idea. I've never prepared kale, but cold fall nights make me crave hearty green vegetables.
A nice change from sauted zucchini with garlic!
i saute it also with garlic and red pepper flakes. then add water (or wine) and cover to steam for several minutes. then transfer to plate, sprinkle with cheese. and use the same pan to fry a couple of eggs and top the kale with them. delish dinner!
I do the same, sauteeing it with a bit of olive oil to start, then putting the lid on with a bit of water and rice vinegar. Later I season it with some chili flakes, salt and pepper. I like to let some of it get a little dark and wilty, but to keep most of it bright green with a bit more body left. I tear it off of the big middle stems so there's not much toughness to deal with anyway.
my friend likes to make kale "chips" to trick the kids into eating more vegetables. i'm not sure of the recipe, but i think she just seasons the kale w/ salt and drizzle of olive oil. then it's baked/broiled until crisp. it has a slight seaweed flavor to it, but it's pretty good.
My favorite way to "eat" kale is the green smoothie. I blend a bunch up with some frozen peaches, an apple, a drizzle or so of agave nectar. So good. This has become my default breakfast lately.
Keep the kale ideas coming! The cavolo nero kale in our garden is going bonkers.
I made some ribollita with it already but it hasn't made a dent in our kale supply.
I warm up some garlic and thinly chopped red onion in a pan let them sautee for a few minutes then add the kale (pre boiled or raw, i prefer raw). Once it's reached its tenderness (about an hour) I add salt, pepper, parm cheese, some breadcrumbs and golden raisins. This is an amzing mix of flavors that complement each other perfectly.
Also, be sure to use extra virgin olive oil with the above, :)
this is not true......boiled kale is more nutritious than raw kale.....FYI....