Cavolo Nero - Black Kale
Domingo Farms
On a wintery day, black kale, sausages, shiitake mushroom sauteed and tossed with a toothsome pasta, served with a little red wine is heaven. Kale takes a bit of work to bring out its best qualities, requiring the removal of the center rib and braising to soften the leaves, but it’s worth it.
Black Kale, also known as Tuscan Kale, Dinosaur Kale, Lacinato Kale, and my favorite, the exotic sounding Cavalo Nero, is a member of the cabbage family. Like mustard greens, collards and mizuma, it is considered a winter green with a season running from late fall through February or so. Black kale's crinkly leaves are dark greenish-purple, almost black in color, they are narrower in shape than regular kale and the stems tend to be a bit thinner. Once cooked, the color darkens even further. It has a chewy texture and a bit of a rich, peppery flavor.
It's great added to soups or pasta, or it can be blanched and then sautéed with olive oil and garlic for a simple and healthy side dish. It works well with sweet potatoes, winter squashes, and cauliflower as well as with hearty grains such as arborio rice or farro.
Black kale (Tuscan kale or cavalo nero) is a member of the brassica family which hails from Tuscany where it was developed in the 18th century. To use, remove center ribs from all but the smallest leaves then blanch leaves for 3-4 minutes. Cool then squeeze out the leaves and sautee them with garlic and olive oil. This is a very hearty green and pairs well with rich dishes of pastas, beans or pork.
Equivalents
For more ideas on how to prepare black kale, check out some of these recipes.
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/ingredients-vegetables/in-season-west-coast-black-kale-015539
This is what Jane Baxter, who worked at the River Café, recommends.
As greens:
Strip out the central rib of all but the smallest leaves and blanch them in plenty of boiling water for 3 or 4 minutes. Cool and squeeze out some of the water. Gently fry some coarsely chopped garlic in olive oil without colouring for a minute, then add the Cavalo Nero and braise/toss in the oil for a couple of minutes.
As a pasta sauce:
Gently fry some garlic and chilli in olive oil without colouring. Add some double cream and reduce a little. Stir in some grated parmesan before mixing in chopped Cavalo Nero which has been blanched and squeezed as above. Best served with a Penne or Fusilli
Black Kale with Pancetta
Any kale will work in this dish, but it is especially good with Tuscan black kale, available at Whole Foods Market.
1 bunch kale, washed
2 ounces pancetta or 2 slices good bacon, diced
1 onion, thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Trim out the kale's center stems and cut the stems into 1/2-inch slices. Roll kale leaves into a cylinder shape and cut into 1-inch ribbons.
Fry the pancetta or bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until fat is rendered. Remove meat with a slotted spoon.
In the same pan, saute the onion with salt and pepper until translucent. Add the kale stems and cook a few minutes longer. Add the kale leaves, 1 to 2 tablespoons water and the cooked pancetta or bacon. Season to taste. Cover and cook over low heat until wilted.
Makes 4 servings. http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/recipes/articles/0314greensrec614.html
Cavolo nero
Total time: About 1 hour
Servings: 4 to 6
Note: Adapted from Suzanne Goin of Lucques. Cavolo nero (black kale) is also known as Tuscan, Lacinato and dinosaur kale.
4 bunches cavolo nero, stemmed and cleaned
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 sprig rosemary
1 dried chile de árbol
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided, more as needed
2 tablespoons chicken broth or water, optional
1. Blanch the cavolo nero in a large pot of salted, boiling water just until softened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the cavolo nero and immediately place it in a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain again and set aside.
2. In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan heated over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onions, rosemary and chile de árbol. Gently sauté for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and season with one-fourth teaspoon salt. Continue to cook until the onions are transparent and just beginning to color, an additional 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir the cavolo nero into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 30 to 40 minutes. As it cooks, the cavolo nero will turn a deep dark green, almost black color, and the texture will go from soft to almost a little crisp from caramelizing on the bottom of the pan. This is good and will enhance the flavor. If the cavolo nero becomes too dry, add a little stock or water to moisten the bottom of the pan. Season with the remaining one-fourth teaspoon salt and remove from heat. Serve immediately.
Cavolo Nero and Borlotti Bean Soup
(Ribollita)
SERVES 8 – 10
This recipe for the classic Tuscan soup is based on one in The River Cafe Cook Book by Rose Gray and Ruth
Rogers (Ebury Press, 1995).
¼ cup plus 3 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
6 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2 lbs. cavolo nero, trimmed and roughly chopped
3 14-oz. cans borlotti beans, drained
1 stale crustless loaf ciabatta bread (about ¾ lb. whole)
1. Heat 1⁄4 cup of oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add parsley leaves, celery, cloves garlic, carrots, onions,
and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until light brown, 15–20 minutes.
2. Crush tomatoes; add to pot. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until thickened, 25–30 minutes. Add cavolo
nero, 2 cans of the beans, and 1 gallon water. Cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer,
uncovered, until cavolo nero is tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, purée remaining 1 can of beans and 1⁄2 cup water in a food processor; stir into pot. Tear bread
into 1" pieces; add to pot with remaining 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring,
until thick, about 30 minutes. Serve drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.
SERVES 4
When most people think of pesto, the traditional Genoese version, made with basil and pine nuts, comes to mind. In this rendition, sweet and nutty cavolo nero replaces both of those ingredients. This recipe is based on one in The River Cafe Cook Book by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (Ebury Press, 1995).
2 1⁄2 lbs.cavolo nero, trimmed
4 cloves garlic
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1 lb. dried farfalle
1 1⁄2 cups grated parmigiano-reggiano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add cavolo nero and 2 cloves garlic; cook until bright green, 3–4 minutes. Drain; transfer cavolo nero and garlic to a food processor; pulse to a purée. Pour in 1⁄4 cup of the oil while pulsing to form a pesto; transfer to a bowl.
2. Crush remaining 2 garlic cloves with sea salt; stir into pesto with 1⁄4 cup of the oil.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add farfalle; cook until al dente, 10 minutes. Drain; add pasta to bowl of pesto. Fold in parmigiano-reggiano, remaining 1⁄2 cup of oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
This recipe was first published in Saveur in Issue #106
