Una's Kale Caesar Salad

Like many Calgarians, my husband and I fell in love with the kale Caesar salad from Una (though I personally think it would be better with a soft-boiled, or poached egg) and so when we found the recipe online, we decided to try our hand at making it at home. One of our favourite meals now is serving it with a sous-vide pork chop.

Author: Adapted from Una Pizza + Wine, via Culinaire Magazine

Recipe type: Appetizer, Salad

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 2 cloves garlic

• 4-6 anchovy fillets

• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

• ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil

Salad:

• 4-6 thin slices prosciutto

• ½ cup (125 mL) panko breadcrumbs

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 small bunches or 1 large bunch of kale, leaves only, julienned

• 1 cup (250 mL) grated Pecorino cheese

• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved (optional)

Instructions

Dressing:

1. Place garlic and anchovy fillets in a compact blender (i.e. Magic Bullet) or mortar and pestle. (If you have neither of these, the original recipe says to crush the garlic and anchovies first using a fork against the inside of a bowl—I would recommend crushing or mincing the garlic first if you're going this route.) Pulse or crush.

2. If using blender, add in mustard, lemon zest and juice. Pulse until well-blended, then whisk in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. (You might not use all of the olive oil if your lemon was particularly juicy.) If using mortar and pestle, transfer to a medium bowl (you might already be there if you're using the fork and bowl method) and mix in mustard, lemon zest and juice. Whisk in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. (You might not use all of the olive oil if your lemon was particularly juicy.)

Salad

1. Place a medium frying pan on high heat. Add prosciutto and pan-fry until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside; crumbling or slicing once cooled.

2. Meanwhile, reduce the heat to low and add panko crumbs to the pan. Toast until golden, about 2 minutes. Scrape the panko into a small bowl, season to taste with salt, and set aside.

3. Place kale in a large bowl, pour in the dressing and toss well. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with grated Pecorino cheese, toasted panko, and crispy prosciutto. Serve with the boiled eggs, if desired.