Suggested use for Portuguese Kale?

Just came home with a lovely bunch of Portuguese Kale in the CSA. Have never used it before. Do you have ideas or suggestions for making a summer dish? All I seem to find is a hearty soup recipe.

Judy
  • Posted by: Judy
  • August 14, 2015
  • 6424 views
  • 3 Comments

3 Comments

sfmiller
sfmiller August 15, 2015
To me, Portuguese kale has more of a collards-ish or cabbage-y flavor than Tuscan or curly kale. I wouldn't hesitate to do a straight-up substitution for collards or another type of kale. You could cut out the tough ribs, slice the leaves into thin chiffonade, and make a raw salad with an assertive, acidic dressing. Or quickly stir-fry in olive oil, garlic, and anchovy or in neutral oil, garlic, and ginger (depending on how young and tender the kale is, you might need to add a bit of liquid to cook it through). Or blanch whole leaves until tender and use them to wrap a grain salad or something.

Portuguese kale is delicious long-cooked in the Southern style, too--which is welcome any season in my household.
 
Judy
Judy August 15, 2015
That is very helpful, thank you very much!
 
Jan W.
Jan W. August 19, 2015
Totally agree with this - couve portuguesa is very similar to collard greens, and can be used in the same way. In Portugal it is used to make a number of soups, the most famous of which being caldo verde, which is made by chiffonading the leaves.

Personally I like it sautéed with onions, garlic and linguiça/chouriço (can use Spanish chorizo) or bacon. Another interesting recipe used in Portugal is actually wrapping cod loin with ham, potato & herbs in the whole leaf and baking it in the oven, then finishing off with olive oil and vinegar. If you're not keen on cod (typically is dried salted cod that must be soaked to remove the salt, but fresh can be used), it is done with pretty much every other meaty fish you can think of (mackerel, tuna, etc.).
 
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