Author Notes: Kale salads and kale chips have their moments, and grilled kale, with the char marks and brittle edges, is interesting and nice. But today I’ll put my money on kale that’s cooked long and slow—that’s where the leafy green reveals its juicy, silky side. This skillet meal is a quick, hearty dinner for two (or lighter one for 3), as well as an excellent lunch or brunch. It’s an amalgamation of a few different recipes I’d had on my mind—Roger Verdé’s fried eggs with vinegar, Judy Rogers’ fried eggs with breadcrumbs, and the silky, wood-roasted kale I ate at Franny’s in Brooklyn. The result is remarkably uncluttered. The vinegar is bracing and bright; the kale is soft, presenting no chewy resistance; and the breadcrumbs are salty and crisp. Halve the recipe and use a smaller skillet to make a perfect meal for one.
This recipe is reprinted with permission from the “Weeknights” issue of the Feast by Lukas digital quarterly. —LukasVolger
Serves: 2 to 3
Ingredients
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3
tablespoons olive oil
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1/3
cup coarse, good-quality breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
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1/2
medium white or yellow onion, diced
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2
garlic cloves, minced
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Kosher salt
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12
ounces lacinato kale (1 big or 2 small bunches), stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
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4
eggs
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3
tablespoons sherry vinegar or good red wine vinegar
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Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Heat half the oil over medium-low heat in an oven-safe 10- or 12-inch skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently for 5 to 7 minutes, until they darken a few shades and are crisp. Transfer to a plate or bowl.
- Wipe out the skillet, return it to the heat, and add the remaining oil. Add the onion and a big pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and when fragrant, add the kale, in batches if necessary. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until wilted down to a fraction its original volume and very soft and dark green. Taste for salt, adding another pinch or two if necessary.
- Raise the heat slightly to medium. Spread the kale in an even layer. One by one, crack the eggs into a small bowl and gently pour over the kale, keeping the yolks in tact. Cook for about a minute, so that the whites begin to set, then drizzle the vinegar all over. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and several grinds of black pepper.
- Transfer to the oven and cook for 4 to 7 minutes, depending on how firmly you like your yolks cooked. Serve immediately, dishing the greens and eggs straight from the skillet.
/2a79d540-3ca0-4947-a245-f748f5edd6b7--eggs_in_kale_and_breadcrumbs_landscape.png "Eggs in Kale and Breadcrumbs 2")
