I love Kale and always have a bag of ready chopped in the fridge to add to pastas, soups, salads etc. It rarely goes to waste in my house but at the moment, with all of this Corona stuff going on, I am trying to avoid going to the shops as much as I can. This means I don’t plan very well and when I get there I buy mountains of fresh veggies that I then need to use before they start to turn. Lucky for me, my obsession with food means that I have a constant train of thought (bordering on ridiculous) as to what meal we will be having next and sometimes three meals in advance. So this little bag of Kale was beginning to bother me as the meals I had planned for the next few evenings would not be requiring it. Which got me thinking of our very next meal……Sunday Brunch (and yes, it was 4am) and viole`, I had an idea! Kale fritters. Yaaasssssss!!!
The beauty of this recipe is that is totally flexible. I will tell you what I served these with but feel free to play around with your additions. You could go completely vegetarian, add bacon, remove the smoked trout. Whatever your heart desires and whatever you have in your fridge. There are no hard and fast rules here…..
Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cooking time: 30 Minutes
$$ Medium Budget
Serves 4
For the Fritters:
Oil for frying
1 Bag of chopped Kale
1/2 a bunch of dill, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Grated rind of 1/2 a lemon
3/4 cup of self raising flour
2 tbs of greek yoghurt
1/4 cup of milk
100gm of fetta, crumbled
1/4 cup of parmesan
3 eggs
Sea salt and pepper
For the Additions:
1 avocado, halved peeled and sliced
8 baby truss tomatoes, portioned into two’s
4 eggs
150gm of smoked ocean trout
Assorted micro herbs or herbs (dill, parsley, chives)
1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
A sprinkle of chilli flakes
A smattering of grated lemon rind
Olive oil for drizzling,
Lemon wedges to serve
To make the kale fritters, place the kale in a large mixing bowl and pour over boiling water so that it is all covered. Allow to blanch for about 30 seconds and then pour into a strainer and run under cold water. Once cool, squeeze out any excess water, really well with your hands until it is really squashed and wrung out. Place it back in the mixing bowl and break it up with your hands before adding the rest of the ingredients for the fritters. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture until it is smooth and well combined.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the tomatoes on a lined baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until blistered.
Heat a large non stick frypan and add a little oil. Place a few large tablespoons of the kale fritter mixture in the pan (about 3) and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon. Cook the fritters on either side until golden for about 3-4 minutes before placing on a lined baking tray and popping them in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of the mixture.
Cook the eggs to your liking. I do poached but I have to admit, I cheat and use the silicon poaching cups. I can poach an egg the traditional way but I just find it easier when doing a few at one time. If you prefer you can fry, boil or scramble.
To serve the dish, place a kale fritter or two on each plate. Top with the poached eggs, slices of smoked ocean trout, roast tomatoes and the slices of avocado. Garnish with micro herbs or herbs, chilli flakes, pine nuts and lemon rind. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil or any juices from the tomato tray and serve with lemon wedges.
If you have leftover dill, you may want to cook this…..?
https://emsfoodforfriends.com.au/greek-lamb-fetta-meatball-tray-bake/
