National Kale Day! My favourite spicy kale and salmon

I love kale and I love that it now has its own national day! It sits among other wonderful super ingredients like spinach, carrots and beetroot….perhaps next week, all hail, it’s national Beetroot Day! I can’t see it happening personally, but nevertheless I’m pleased it’s getting some recognition.  In honour of the jewel hued cruciferous crown that is kale, below is my favourite recipe for crispy kale with chilli and garlic, this makes a lovely nibble with drinks if you are entertaining, but it’s equally good as a side to some baked salmon.

Crispy kale….amazing nibble with drinks, or equally good under a piece of salmon

Aromatic Oriental Salmon and Crispy Spiced Kale (recipe for 2)

Ingredients

2 lightly smoked salmon fillets (the light smoke taste works well, if not, standard salmon is fine)

1 thumb of ginger, peeled and sliced into strips

1 red chilli, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

Tblspn of toasted sesame oil

200g of curly kale, stripped from the stalky stems and shredded

2 tablespoons of agave nectar, or if you can’t get this granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

3 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil

1 teaspoon of chilli powder (or more if you like it hot!)

Fresh coriander

Kitchen Foil

Method:

Heat the oven to 220 degrees. Nestle the salmon fillets in the foil, top them with the ginger, chilli and 2 of the sliced garlic cloves, pour over the sesame oil and make an airtight parcel- you want this to steam. Put the foil parcel on a baking sheet and straight into the hot oven. Leave them in the oven for about 8 minutes, maybe less if they are small, and bring them out to stand while you prepare and cook the kale- the standing means that they keep cooking gently, and that they retain lots of moisture and flavour in their little steamy parcel.

Keep the oven hot, I tend to turn mine up to 240 degrees C. Pour the kale into a large mixing bowl and toss through the olive oil until it’s thoroughly mixed through all of the leaves. Gradually sprinkle the salt, chilli powder, sugar and remaining garlic through the leaves, tossing after you have added a little of each. You are looking to have an even but light coating. Pour the kale onto a baking sheet (it will look quite high but will reduce) and bake in the oven for 5 minutes or so, remove and stir the leaves through, making sure to mix well and get the crispy side bits in the middle before returning this to the oven (you will have to do this 3-4 times, checking every 5-7 minutes) You are looking for a an even crispness with some lovely crunchy darker bits (as per the picture).

Break open the parcel (being careful to avoid a salmon steam facial as you do it) and serve as you like (I like to eat with chopsticks…it takes me longer that way, oink oink) and top with some fresh coriander.