Kale and Water Chestnuts in Curried Cream

Boiling kale before sautéing it is key to making it tender. If the stems and center veins are very tough, Marcia Kiesel advises removing them: Fold the kale leaves in half with the vein side out, then pull up on the stems.

Total Time:
35 mins
Yield:
12

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 4 pounds kale, tough stems discarded

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

  • One 8-ounce can whole water chestnuts, sliced 1/4 inch thick

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring often, until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 7 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the kale until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the kale, and when it's cool enough to handle, gently squeeze out the excess water. Coarsely chop the kale.

  3. In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and water chestnuts and bring to a boil. Add the kale and reduced cream and toss. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until the kale is sizzling, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Make Ahead

The kale can be refrigerated overnight; reheat gently, adding a few tablespoons of chicken broth as needed.

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