KaleKale is making a bit of a comeback! I remember eating it regularly as a child and then it disappeared but I am seeing it increasingly in the supermarkets as we become more committed to eating seasonal, locally grown produce. It is very easy to grow in the garden and is one of those vegetables that will thrive on a frost.
In common with many of the brassicas kale is highly nutritious and is considered to be an excellent cancer fighting food due to the high levels of sulfurocane it contains. To preserve the health benefits kale is best lightly cooked.
Kale in its various guises is eaten all over the world, can be found in South American cooking and Northern European cuisine. One thing that does link all these quite different styles of cooking is the addition of a flavoursome meat, be it bacon, spicy chorizo or dried beef. I suspect this is a reflection of kales ability to flourish in the depths of winter and is accompanied by cured or dried meats that have been preserved to see communities through the harsher months of the year.
This month’s recipe is a simple potato hash with kale, you can spice this up with some cumin, turmeric and garam masala to give it an Indian twist or when kale is out of season use chard or spinach (adjusting the cooking time accordingly), this is a truly versatile dish!
Kale
Kale & Potato Hash
- 2-3 Medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1cm cubes
- 250g Kale, stalk removed and roughly sliced into 1cm strips
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 150ml stock
- 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-2tbs oil
In a large non-stick frying pan heat the oil and when hot add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until a little colour appears at the edges. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two then add the potatoes and stir to coat in the oil. Turn down the heat and leave the potatoes to take on some colour shaking the pan occasionally to get an even colour.
Add the stock and cover the pan with a lid or a piece of foil and leave to cook for 5 minutes. After this time add the kale and give everything a good stir, leave for a further 5 minutes or until everything is tender. Season to taste and serve.
Tip
To turn this tasty side dish into a more substantial supper dish add some bacon lardons or chunks of chorizo when cooking the potatoes and serve with a poached egg on top.
Quick ways with Kale
Soften a clove or two of garlic with a finely chopped chilli add some kale and stir fry until the kale is tender, at the end of the cooking add a splash of soy sauce.