Braised Kale

Yield: 4 servings
Time: About 1 1/2 hours

This was really good and a great compliment to the arctic char and squash puree. It was a tiny bit sour, but balanced well with the sweet squash. Be sure to keep the onion, carrot, and celery chunks large so that it’s easier to separate the kale from the onions, carrots, and celery.

Ingredients

Salt
8 ounces dinosaur or lacinato kale leaves, stems removed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, cut into large dice
1/2 medium carrot, cut into large dice
1/2 celery stalk, cut into large dice
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons honey
Pinch of ground white pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, set aside a large bowl of ice water. Add kale to boiling water, return to a boil, and after 1 minute transfer to ice bath. Drain well, and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, heat oil over low heat and sauté onion, carrot and celery until just softened. Add sherry vinegar and cook until reduced by two-thirds. Add kale and stir to coat, then add chicken broth, honey, 2 teaspoons salt and the pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, partly covered, until kale is tender, 60 to 80 minutes.
Transfer kale leaves to a warm bowl, leaving onion, carrot and celery in broth. Strain broth, discarding solids. If there is more than ¾ cup, it may be boiled in a small saucepan until reduced. Adjust salt and pepper as needed, and pour over kale. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; gently reheat before serving.