Kale with Quick-Pickled Apple, Gruyere Crisps, and Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette
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This salad, both the ingredients to make up the salad fixings and the dressing, are out-of-this-world insanely yummy!! I had it as part of New Year's Eve dinner and made it again just two days later. Plus, kale! That's always a plus, right?
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
GRUYERE CRISPS
7 ounces cave-aged Gruyere cheese
Or Parmigiano-Reggiano
QUICK-PICKLED APPLE
2 tspn finely minced shallot
2 tspn cider vinegar
1/8 tspn salt
2 tspn extra virgin olive oil
2 tspn lemon juice
1 tart, crisp apple
VINAIGRETTE
2 tbsp finely minced shallot
3 tbsp cider vinegar
¾ tspn salt
¼ tspn freshly ground pepper
½ tspn sugar
3 tbsp crème fraiche or sour cream
2 tspn Dijon mustard
1 tbspn lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
SALAD
1 to 1 ½ bunches Lacinato or Red Russian Kale, washed and dried
¼ tspn flaky finishing salt
¼ tspn freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. Make the gruyere crisps. Preheat oven to 325F Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat. Using a microplane grater, grate the cheese onto the mat as evenly as possible. Bake until cheese is melted and is a light golden straw color, 20 to 25 minutes. The sense won’t be crispy until it has fully cooled. Once the cheese has cooled completely, use your hands to break it into 3 to 4 inch pieces. The crisps can be made up to 5 hours ahead, set aside and uncovered.
2. Make the quick-pickled apple. Place the shallot into a mixing bowl, cover with vinegar and add the salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Quarter the apple and slice into 1/8 inch thick pieces. Toss to coat the apples with the dressing and let sit for about 30 minutes.
3. Make the vinaigrette. Mince the shallot and cover with vinegar while you get the other ingredients ready. Add everything into the same bowl and mix, lastly add the olive oil and whisk to emulsify.
4. Make the salad. Wash and dry the kale. Tear or cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Add the kale to a large bowl, toss with about two-thirds of the vinaigrette, add the apples and the cheese crisps and some fresh ground pepper. Salt to taste.
