Kale Pastry Recipe
A Kale Pastry Recipe is always a showstopper! The green showing through the slits of a puff pastry creates the perfect culinary masterpiece for your next gathering, especially if it’s your family.
Kale, cabbage, collards, and mustard greens are flourishing in my Alabama garden this year. The recent snow seems to have given a sweeter taste to all of them, something I’ve noticed especially in my kale recipes.
Kale is also incredibly beautiful. One of my favorite varieties is Lacinato kale. The leaves have a bumpy texture that reflects light at different angles, plus they’re a deep purplish green with a depth of color I’ve not found in any other plant. (This kale plant is so striking that I even use the leaves in my flower arrangements.)
Using the best ingredients you can find is key to this kale pastry recipe. The kale needs to be fresh (not wilted and lifeless), the Pecorino Romano or Parmesan needs to have a little age on it, and the eggs preferably will be free range.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal to choose all ingredients with this much care, but selecting the best does make a difference!
Truly this recipe is a showstopper! It’s perfect for the family on Saturday mornings, brunch on Sundays, a morning bridal shower with strawberry champagne, or a late-night snack.
Add a splash of hot sauce, then serve this kale recipe with a side salad and some creamy grits.
You’ll have a brunch that will exceed even your own expectations! (Then next weekend, try my recipe for Creamed Kale with Poached Egg.)
Kale Pastry
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil more for sautéing if needed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 pounds fresh kale
- 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
- 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Tabasco or other pepper sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cut stems away from any large kale leaves (the tender stems on younger shoots are fine to use) and then set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then blanch kale for about 4 minutes. Drain kale and allow to cool until you can easily handle it. Chop kale, squeezing out any excess water, and then place it in a large bowl.
- Heat oil and butter in a large sauté pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat until tender (about 8 minutes). Add garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Then add onion and garlic mixture to the kale. Mix in cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and walnuts.
- Unfold one sheet of puff pastry and place on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper. (The paper should be slightly larger than the sheet.) Place kale mixture in the middle of the pastry, and then brush the pastry around it with cream.
- Roll out the second pastry sheet on a floured surface until it is about 2 inches larger in all directions than the first sheet. Place this sheet over the top of the kale mixture and crimp edges. Brush top and crimped sides of the pastry with cream. Using a knife, make 3 or 4 slits in the pastry top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Transfer to a cutting board and serve.
Nutrition
