Home · Recipes · Historical Cookbook · Vegetables and Potato Dishes

Chopped Kale or Collard Greens

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1.25 kg kale or collard greens
• salted water (a little)
• beef broth (a little)
• sugar (a little)
• salt (a little)
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. For 4 people, plan on 1 to 1.5 kg of kale.
2. Of kale and collard greens, which are closely related, kale is preferable as it has the finest flavor, especially after it has seen some frost.
3. Strip the leaves from the ribs, removing any snails, insects, and yellow spots.
4. Wash the kale thoroughly several times, as it is usually sandy.
5. Start with boiling salted water and cook uncovered for a good ¼ hour.
6. Transfer to a colander, rinse with cold water, and squeeze out thoroughly.
7. Chop finely, then return to the pot with boiling beef broth, preferably beef broth, and cook with little broth for 1.5 hours.
8. Finally, add a little sugar and, if necessary, salt, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
9. As soon as the kale is tender, brown 2 tablespoons of grated breadcrumbs in 2 tablespoons of butter, add to the kale, and let it simmer until thickened.

Modernized from a treasured 19th-century German cookbook.