Branzino With Brown Butter And Almonds On A Bed Of Crispy Kale Recipes

BRANZINO BLT

Steps:

• Preheat a wood burning oven or conventional oven to 450 degrees F. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Render the bacon bits in a medium high-sided saute pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon bits and reserve for serving later; reserve the rendered fat.
• Add the reserved rendered fat, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, some basil, vinegar and some olive oil to a medium saucepan and turn the heat to low. Allow the tomatoes to confit in the rendered fat until they are tender and have lost some of their juice, about 10 minutes.
• Rinse the branzinos under cold water and dry off with paper towels. Sprinkle the surface and cavities of the fish with salt and pepper. Slice the lemons into wheels and place in the cavities of the fish along with some fresh basil leaves. Place the fish on a sheet tray and bake until the fish is cooked through and the skin has crisped, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the grits: Add 375 grams water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the polenta and stir to combine. Add the mascarpone and salt and stir until the mascarpone is melted. Stir in the butter, banana and Parmesan until completely incorporated and melted into the polenta.
• Place the halved romaine on the grill, cut-side down, and sear until grilled, about 2 minutes.
• Arrange the grilled baby romaine on a large platter. Top with the branzino, spoonfuls of the tomato vinaigrette and grits, then garnish with the bacon crumbles.

ROASTED CHICKEN DINNER WITH POTATOES AND ARTICHOKES ON A BED OF CRISPY KALE

Steps:

• Drizzle the chicken with EVOO and liberally sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
• In a roasting pan or baking dish, combine the potatoes, rosemary, onions, bay leaves, artichokes, garlic and lemons. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup EVOO, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables.
• Position the rack on the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roast the chicken and vegetables for 45 minutes. Turn on the broiler and douse the pan with the wine. Broil until crispy and brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Dress the kale very lightly with about 1 tablespoon EVOO and season with salt, pepper and a few gratings of nutmeg. Spread the kale on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Broil until very crispy, about 10 minutes.
• Divide the kale among plates and top with the chicken and vegetables.

CRISPY KALE

Steps:

• In a large heavy pot (like a Dutch oven), heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 350 degrees F.
• Thoroughly wash the kale and remove the stems. Tear the leaves up into large bite-size pieces and dry them, either in a salad spinner or on paper towels.
• Drop 5 to7 leaves in the hot oil at a time and fry until the kale is crisp and almost transparent, 60 to 90 seconds. Drain on a wire rack set over paper towels and season with kosher salt while hot.
• Fry the cilantro leaves for a couple of seconds and drain on the same wire rack. Season with a bit more salt. Serve it as a snack or side dish.