This Sautéed Cavolo Nero is the simplest of recipes. Cooked with butter and a little olive oil, the kale is made tender after a quick steam right in the pan, eliminating the need for separate blanching. Also known as black, dinosaur, lacinato or Tuscan kale, this dark, flavour-packed brassica is easy to prepare and makes the perfect side dish for a variety of meals.
Prepare around 200g Cavolo Nero by rinsing it and drying it thoroughly.
Remove the kale leaves from the thick stems. I find the easiest way to do this is to grab the cut end of the stem in one hand then use the other hand to push the leaf on both sides down and off the stem. Otherwise you can use a large sharp knife and cut as close to the stem as possible.
Carry on until all of the stems are removed.
Pile the leaves up and use a knife to slice through the leaves to make thick ribbons. You may find this easier to do in a couple of batches. Put the cut leaves into a large frying pan/skillet.
Add a generous 1 tbsp Salted Butter to the kale along with 1 tsp Olive Oil.
Put the pan onto a high heat and keep moving around the contents with a spatula until the butter has melted and it has started to sizzle.
Turn the heat lower and continue to move the kale in the pan.
Once it has started to cook down slightly, add around 4 tbsp Water to the pan and add a lid. Allow the kale to steam in the water for around 3 minutes.
Remove the lid, turn the heat back up and continue to stir the kale until all the water has evaporated. Continue cooking for a couple more minutes until the kale is tender.