Malcolm Jolley gets dark green and crunchy.
Kale Chips don’t suck. No, really, they don’t. OK, some of them do: the ones you buy on impulse at Whole Foods that are flavoured with yoghurt or tempeh or some other crime against gastronomy definitely suck. But the ones you can make at home, with nothing more than a brush of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt are delicious.
I discovered this on a rainy afternoon in Wales, where thanks to my father-in-law’s market garden we had a lot of kale on hand. Our friend Charlotte was staying with us at the farm, and she suggested making a batch of kale chips to usher in the cocktail hour. Her suggestion was greeted with warm ambivalence. We not enthused by the kale chips, but since it meant we could declare cocktail hour, we went with it. Imagine our delight when she produced an oven tray of crisp, salty greenery that truly did not suck. They were delicious. Something happens to kale when it’s cooked this way. Who knows what? Not ours to reason why. We ate them all of the first batch quickly and demanded Charlotte make more. I think we ate five trays. My feelings for kale have been completely transformed, and I want to share with you this dark leafy green miracle.
Charlotte’s recipe (which I believe came from her mother) is this: tear up bits of kale leaves, brush them with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Bake them for 10 or 15 minutes in a fairly hot (400F) oven.
Serve with a crisp white wine and marvel that kale chips do not, in fact, suck.
Agreed! I love kale chips! I like to add a sprinkle of crushed red chiles for a bit of spice.
For sure!