k.a. Tuscan Kale)" from Genius Recipes. Why blanch first, why not just cut raw kale into pieces, then stir in with water that still clings to the l...

I should have been more specific: You should see it when you're done squeezing! Lots of liquid comes out after blanching and squeezing. (Sort of funny picturing trying to do the same with raw kale!)

When you squeeze an entire bunch of blanched kale in your hands, hard, five or six times, to wring the water out, you end up with a tight dark green ball the size of a baseball.

Getting all that liquid out serves a critical role in allowing the onions and garlic to caramelize. If the kale were wet, the onions would steam somewhat, and not dry out as they need to, to get the deeper flavor of slow cooking dry. I suspect that the slow-and-low-cooked onions largely explain why Suzanne Goin can't take this dish off her menu. ;o)

Interesting--my experience has been the opposite, i.e. the added moisture from the blanching takes longer to cook off.

cherimich, see my response to Susan W below—it's all in the squeezing :)