Roasted Kale with Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes, and Lemon
We used curly kale for roasting because it retained some volume and featheriness, even when cooked. After tearing the leaves into large pieces and rinsing them, we spun the leaves in a salad spinner to remove most of the excess moisture that would otherwise need to be cooked off in the oven. Massaging oil and salt into the kale directly on the baking sheet evenly seasoned all the leaves and kick-started the wilting process before cooking. Roasting the kale in a hot oven cooked it relatively quickly and encouraged browning. By skipping any stirring while cooking, we ended up with kale that had a delightful mix of textures: tender, crisp, and crunchy. The classic combination of garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon brightened up the earthy green.
1 pound curly kale, stemmed and torn into 1½- to 2-inch pieces (12 cups)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1.) Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Working in 3 batches, wash kale and spin in salad spinner until leaves are mostly dry. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet.
2.) Combine oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper flakes in small bowl. Drizzle over kale. Gently knead and squeeze kale until leaves are evenly coated in oil mixture, have started to soften, and are slightly wilted, about 1 minute.
3.) Roast kale until leaves are tender and some edges of leaves are crisp and brown, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately (leaves will soften as they stand).
Note: Washing the kale and drying it in the salad spinner leaves it with just the right amount of surface moisture to facilitate cooking; kneading and squeezing the kale helps soften its texture and evenly distributes seasonings—do not skip these steps. Kale bunches can vary in the amount of usable leaves; buy 1 pound to ensure that you end up with 12 cups (10 ounces) of kale pieces. To minimize waste, look for bunches where leaves run the length of the stem. Serve the kale as a side dish or mix it into pastas, scrambles, or grain bowls.
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