Up until this point the only unqualified success I've had in getting the kids to eat kale was with kale chips. Every other preparation, whether tossed with pasta, served up in a soup, or just sauteed with some garlic has met with tepid acceptance. I know that the fact they eat kale at all is cause for celebration, especially when I think that most of their friends have never even heard of it before…..but still.
As head chef and bottle washer around here, I do wince a bit as I watch each of the kids plaster on a fake smile and choke down the stuff if only to qualify for whatever's being offered for dessert on any given night. In the end, I'm happy that they eat their greens but I want my kids to come to love kale for it's versatility, deliciousness, and for the fact that it packs a serious nutritional punch, not because eating it qualifies them for bowl of ice cream at dessert.
In my never ending search to find recipes that showcase the goodness of kale in ways that might be more palatable to the kids, I stumbled across this one last fall in Bon Appetit's October issue. As soon as I read the title of the recipe I knew I had found a winner. While the original dish calls for using hake as the fish, I can't normally find here so used cod instead. But it's not the cod that makes the kale so inviting, it's the chorizo, a smoked and spicy Spanish – Portuguese sausage. Now here was a chef that thinks the way I do….if you're having difficulty making an ingredient more appealing, just throw some pork at it!
A couple of the kids went back for seconds of the kale….and no, I'm not kidding. Big win!
Cheers – Steve
Ingredients
- EVOO
- 2 chorizo sausages, sliced lengthwise then across into half-moon shapes
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 bunches lacinato kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 6 - 6 0unce portions of cod (or hake if you can find it)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the broiler and place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until lightly rendered (but not crisp) and the oil turns bright red, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the kale; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the kale begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of wine and 1/4 cup of water. partially cover and reduce heat to low and cook until kale is tender, 12-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile season fish filets on both sides with salt and pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the melted bitter and place under the broiler, cook until just cooked through (5-8 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish).
- Divide the kale mixture among plates and top with a piece of fish. Serve with your favorite mashed potatoes alongside.