I’d dog-eared a page in the December Gourmet with a recipe for a Wilted Kale and Roasted-Potato Winter Salad with a lemon-tahini dressing and moved it to the top of my list last month. As I began to prep, though, I realized that all of my lemons went into making this punch on New Year’s Eve (well worth it, in case you were wondering), and my tahini, stuck in the back of the fridge for the better part of a year, looked questionable at best. Yes, kids, I’m still mastering this “planning” thing. Luckily, even with a few adjustments, this one was a winner.
A couple of days prior, in a sure-to-be-short-lived attempt at starting off 2009 on a healthy note, I pulled another recipe for a quick, tasty and easy dinner, this one for chicken with a basil-mustard sauce. (I added capers, too.) I wound up with plenty of extra sauce, and when I realized I’d need a substitute dressing for the potato salad, it seemed just the thing.
The original recipe suggested that the heat from the Yukon Golds alone would wilt the kale; knowing it to be one of the tougher leafy greens, I was a bit skeptical and decided to bring the sauce to a simmer before pouring it over. The dish came together beautifully–the crispy-creamy bits of potato, the barely wilted kale, the pungent garlic and capers, and the occasional hit of salty Parmesan, all underscored by that sharp Dijon vinaigrette.
It was pretty close to perfect on its own, and even better the next day with a soft-boiled egg and a few dashes of pepper sauce on top.
Wilted Kale and Roasted-Potato Winter Salad
Adapted from Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez’s recipe (Gourmet, December 2008) and Shape magazine’s Chicken with Basil-Mustard Sauce (March 2007).
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves (3 thinly sliced and 1 minced)
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 to 1 1/4 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1-2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons chopped basil
3/4 pounds kale, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves very thinly sliced crosswise
Accompaniment: lemon wedges
1. Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in upper third.
2. Toss potatoes with oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large 4-sided sheet pan, then spread evenly. Roast, stirring once, 10 minutes. Stir in sliced garlic and roast 10 minutes more. Sprinkle with cheese and roast until cheese is melted and golden in spots, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and in another, combine 1 cup broth, the wine, and mustard; set both aside.
4. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in small skillet over medium heat, add shallots and cook until beginning to brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour mixture and cook 30 seconds, then pour in wine mixture, add capers and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 5 minutes. If sauce is too thick, whisk in remaining 1/4 cup broth. Add in basil.
4. Toss kale with hot potatoes and any garlic and oil remaining in pan, then toss with hot mustard sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges, if using.
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Tags: sides, vegetarian
October 30, 2009 at 4:49 pm
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