The Kale you say?

To me, Kale looks like something that grows along a ditch bank, and because they say you should massage it with lemon juice in order to make it edible is a deal breaker for me. I’ll pass on that. But I came across something called Lacinato (aka Dinosaur) Kale while grocery shopping one day and it looked so pretty that I had to give it a try. And bonus, you don’t have to massage it. Who knew Kale could be so good (ok, other than people who like to massage their kale)? It’s good grilled, added to soups in place of spinach and my favorite, cooked in a hot wok and then doused with an oyster sauce concoction, a sauce that was inspired by this NYT Cooking recipe https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017698-baby-bok-choy-with-oyster-sauce. I added in some broccoli as well because I had it. This sauce was a game changer for me. Now I use it as a marinade all the time. It’s so good….

Recipe:

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Lacinato (Dinosaur) Kale*

1 small head broccoli cut into florets (with some stem)

Neutral cooking oil like canola or grapeseed

kosher salt & pepper

2 tbsp. Oyster Sauce (I like this brand. https://usa.lkk.com/en/products/panda-brand-oyster-flavored-sauce )

1 tbsp. Coconut Aminos (or reduced sodium soy sauce or Tamari)

1 tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tsp. Toasted Sesame oil (https://www.kadoya.com/english/ (I think Kadoya has the best flavor)

*Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Combine the oyster sauce, coconut aminos (or reduced sodium soy sauce or Tamari), rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil and stir well to combine. Set aside.

Wash the kale and strip the leaves from the stalks. You can tear them into smaller pieces by hand. It’s okay if the leaves are wet when you add them to the pan, it helps them wilt. But the broccoli should be dry in order to char.

Heat wok or a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it’s starting to smoke. It’s important to be patient here because you need a high heat for this to cook quickly and get that char you want. Add a tablespoon of oil and swirl around the pan. Add sliced garlic and cook just until it’s sizzling and starting to turn a toasty light brown, careful not to burn it. If you want a little heat, now is when you could add a pinch of red pepper flakes and toss them in the oil for a minute. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving the oil in the pan. Add the broccoli so that it’s in one layer and all the pieces have contact with the pan. Don’t touch it! Let it get a little charred and cook for maybe 3-5 minutes before you stir it around. It’s not going to burn, so resist the urge to stir. Then, finally stir and continue to cook until there are little char marks all over. Add the kale and stir to combine with the broccoli. Let the kale cook down and get soft, stirring frequently for, I don’t know, maybe 5 minutes. If you want, taste a piece of broccoli to make sure it is cooked enough for your taste. If not, just cook another minute or two. Then, add the sauce and toss until the broccoli and kale are coated and the sauce is warmed through. Sprinkle with a little kosher or flake salt and pepper (optional) to taste. Sprinkle the browned garlic back in (with pepper flakes if you used them) Voila, dig in!