Lacinato kale, a.k.a. dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale, or cavolo nero, has a reputation for being a cut above other kales—a bit more gourmet, aristocratic, refined—and is, accordingly, the quickest to sell out at my local greenmarket or grocery. But for all its elevation, my reasons for preferring lacinato to other kales have little to do with elegance, and everything to do with ease: because it’s less tough than other kales, lacinato requires less cooking time to become tender, and can even be tasty raw.
My favored method of preparing lacinato kale is fast and simple: wash and don’t bother drying the bunch; cut leaves into about 1/4-1/2” strips, discarding only the toughest inch or two of stem; heat a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add kale and a few pinches of salt; toss with tongs to coat; add a few tablespoons water, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leaves have softened and bitter flavor is gone, about 5-10 minutes; uncover, turn up the heat, add red pepper flakes, and cook until the water is gone. This makes a great vegetable side to any meal, but I love it especially under two over-easy greenmarket eggs along with toast, grits, or rice for a quick but delicious weekend brunch.
This
vegan version of the traditional Irish dish
colcannon, from Vegan Yum Yum has been a favorite of mine for years, made with lacinato kale. I admittedly de-veganize it by using dairy milk and real butter, and you could go a step farther and use bacon instead of seitan, but as written it’s quite tasty.
Countless versions of a raw kale salad are floating around the food blogosphere, most of which are clearly inspired by Mario Batali's East Village rustic-Italian restaurant, Lupa). Kale salad is best when the kale is cut in a very thin chiffonade (roll a few leaves together and chop thinly), and when made and dressed an hour or so before serving to allow the dressing to soften the kale leaves—otherwise, it can be far too tough and chewy. With those caveats in mind, this gingery rendition from I Heart Kale, topped with tamari-roasted almonds, would make a great transition-to-spring side or light main course.
And like most hearty greens, lacinato kale is perfect thrown in a soup or bean dish (try it in your minestrone!) during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking, to add nutrition, texture, and flavor. Despite its easy-cooking nature, lacinato kale shares its brother kales’ phenomenal nutritional profile: it’s chock-full of vitamins K, A, and C, dietary fiber, calcium, antioxidants, and a host of other nutrients. So go ahead, treat yourself to this most sophisticated of kales: you’ve earned it.
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