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Kale Broth with Lemon Zest and Parmesan

Kale, the mention of the name is enough to wrinkle many a face in disgust. What a shame, because kale is fantastic. Boiled until soft, and pureed with a grating of nutmeg and a splash of cream, it is one of the best winter vegetables. Cooked again until soft, drained and dressed with olive oil and lemon, it is also marvellous, particularly when served on grilled bread that has been lightly rubbed with a little garlic. You can introduce it to chilli, garlic, Indian spices, south east Asian flavours, Spanish smoked paprika and chorizo and you aren’t even beginning to scratch the surface of the flavours it will marry with. Its winter seasonality also seems to add to its charm as it doesn’t have much green competition and it almost stands alone in the coldest months as the bearer of badly needed vitamins and iron.

For the gardener, it is a thing of beauty as its tiered, plumage like foliage, looks almost like an exotic in the winter garden. Viewed under snow or frost on a clear sunny morning, its handsome bearing rivals anything in the garden at any time of the year.

The trick with kale is to cook it enough. It needs to be soft and comforting. If you want crisp, have a carrot stick. You are not being clever by undercooking it. It will be tough and more like fodder and your family and friends will not thank you for it.

Subtle seasoning is required here when finishing the broth the get a good balance between the salt, lemon and parmesan. Too much lemon zest or parmesan will over power. Think of the lemon and parmesan as added seasonings as you sprinkle it on, so go with a light hand and careful tasting.

As always with the addition of any green vegetable to a broth or soup, once the greens go in the saucepan lid stays off.

Serves 4-6

The ingredients

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and allow to foam. Add the potatoes, onions and chopped garlic cloves. Coat in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a butter wrapper or greaseproof paper and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook on a very low heat to allow the vegetables to sweat gently until barely tender. This will take about 10 minutes. Don’t overcook and allow the diced potato to collapse. Add the stock, stir gently and bring to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes. The broth should be barely bubbling. If it cooks too fast at this stage, the delicacy of flavour of the chicken stock will be lost. By now the potato and onion should be completely tender but still holding their shape. Taste and correct seasoning. This is the base and can be put aside until later.
  2. To finish the broth, bring the base back to a simmer. Add the kale and allow to  cook very gently uncovered until quite soft. This can take up to 7 minutes. Taste a little of the kale when you think it is ready to be certain it is really soft and comforting. Taste and correct seasoning and ladle the soup into hot soup bowls. Season each serving with a pinch of the lemon zest and 1 heaped teaspoon of grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.