I know this dish sounds like something from the menu at a Victorian orphanage. (I suppose I could call it “Braised Cavolo Nero with Grilled Bread,” but I just can’t write that with a straight face.) It is what it is, but it’s also a big flavored, delicious, warming winter dish that I love to eat. The hearty kale is simmered with sauteed onions, garlic, olive oil and chili flakes, making a fragrant, flavorful broth that soaks the toasted bread and clings to the tenderized leaves. I had two helpings for lunch yesterday.
The dish is also simple to prepare. There’s just a bit of chopping at the beginning, and then you can pretty much ignore the pot until it’s time to eat.
Recipe
(adapted from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rogers, serves 4 as a first course or a light lunch)
Ingredients
Generous 8 ounces (250 g) of kale (I like black kale or “Cavolo Nero,” but curly kale is delicious too.)
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) diced yellow onions
2 garlic cloves, slivered
About 5 tablespoons of olive oil
A pinch of dried red pepper flakes
3 – 4 cups (3/4 – 1 liter) water
Salt and pepper
Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Wash the kale in cold water. Stack up a few leaves at a time, roll them lengthwise and chop them as finely as you can, stems and all.
2. Warm about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat for a minute or two. Add the onions and cook until translucent but still firm, about 3 minutes. (Don’t brown the onions.)
3. Add the garlic and chili flakes and the kale. Stir occasionally as it wilts into a heavy mass, about 5 minutes.
4. Add water to cover by about 1/2 inch (1 cm). Cover and simmer until the kale is tender, but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Salt to taste.
5. Toast thick slices of chewy, country-style bread until dark golden brown or even just a bit charred. Float the toasts on the surface of the simmering kale for a few moments to allow them to soak up the delicious broth.
6. Transfer the bread to soup plates. Top with plenty of kale, a splash of the broth, a drizzle of olive oil, some shavings of the cheese and fresh ground pepper.
Serve immediately. Repeat.
