Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Kale Chips...on the Grill? (A Summertime Twist)

I've had several requests from friends for "my" kale chip recipe, which has become a staple at parties since last fall. Full disclosure - they are not "mine"; I found out about them via What Would Cathy Eat? and adapted Cathy's recipe slightly. I eliminated the black pepper and tabasco; I double the amount of olive oil (about 3-4 tablespoons), then sprinkled with ground sea salt and about 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, then baked as directed (adjusting my oven to a lower temp and shorter cooking time, as my oven is hotter than Cathy's, apparently.)

I had been wondering for a while, now that grilling season is in full swing (I've brushed off the old Weber and have been loading it's hungry belly with the surplus of hardwood twigs and sticks on our property), if kale chips could be done on a grill as well as in the oven?

Oh yes, ma'am.

Tear off the leaves (discarding the ribs, as per Cathy's recipe) from 1/2 a bunch of lacinato or toscana kale*. Massage it with about 3-4 T olive oil, 2-3 T tomato sauce, 1-2 tea. red wine vinegar, 2 tea. soy sauce, and a dash of cayenne. Toss the leaves until thoroughly coated. Marinate at room temperature for about 1-1/2 hours. Heated up the grill (I only burn hardwoods, no coal or gas, so please adjust for your own grill); when the coals are "medium hot", grey on the outside but burning red inside, put a well-oiled tray for vegetables and small foods atop the grill. Place each leaf atop the tray, watching each one carefully and turning once or twice. Make sure the leaves are flat and not folded or twisted up. A leaf is ready when it's edges begin to curl upward and it is stiff, not limp when you touch it with your tongs; plus it will slide easily across the tray. If it seems stiff at one end but still limp elsewhere, turn or rotate and leave on a few more seconds. When ready, gently drop each one on a plate or in bowl; they will continue to crisp as they cool.

It probably goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that this is not an operation you can walk away from.

Do make sure to set some aside for yourself, because these will disappear FAST, just as their oven-baked siblings do. Hungry friends, family (and significant others) will no doubt take advantage of the fact that your attention is focused on the grill. (There is no such thing as unselfishness when it comes to something this addictive.)

* I haven't tried this yet with the gorgeous toscana kale from Hunts Brook Farm (Quaker Hill, CT) I saw yesterday at New London's Fiddleheads Food Co-op, but I'm sure it would be superb. HBF's kale resembles the lacinato but is lovelier and lusher than the lacinato the co-op has been carrying.





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