Långkål (Creamed Kale)
In Sweden a good side dish is as important as the main course and when it comes to the Christmas dinner, you’ll be hard pressed to find the traditional julskinka (Christmas ham) without a generous side of långkål.
Creamy, delicious and not to mention nutritious, this lovely side dish is perfect with just about any kind of meat – from sausages to roasts and everything in between. You’ll want to make it outside of the holiday season so give it a try!
Långkål (Creamed Kale)
The chilly Swedish autumn provides an ideal environment for the cultivation of crops such as kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, which have now become integral components of our autumn and winter diet.
Ingredients
- 600 g kale leaves fresh, not frozen
- 1 tsp salt for boiling +more to season to taste
- 1 l cooking liquid from ham ham stock or water
- 50 g butter
- 180 ml whipping cream
- white pepper freshly ground, to taste
- ¼ tsp ground mace optional
Instructions
- Wash and drain the kale well and cut off or tear away the tough stems.
- Chop the leaves coarsely and place them in a large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon of salt on top and pour in enough water to just about cover the kale.
- Bring to a boil and simmer to cook the kale for about 2-3 minutes. Drain away the water, squeezing the excess water from the leaves lightly.
- Now pour in your ham stock or water and bring to a boil once again. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until tender. Stir regularly.
- Once cooked, drain once again, squeezing the kale carefully.
- If you plan to finish the recipe later this is the point when you want to cover it with film and place it in the fridge.
- To finish up the recipe now, melt the butter in a pan and add the kale. Fry it for a couple of minutes, stirring thoroughly then pour in the 3/4 cup cream in the pan. Let it cook for 5 minutes or so.
- Taste the creamed kale and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Simmer for a further 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and enjoy the långkål while piping hot!
Notes
- Ideally långkål should be made using the cooking liquid from the ham, but it can be made using just water or ham stock made using a bouillon cube.
- Don’t be tempted to replace the cream with milk and flour as it really doesn’t taste as good, even if it might be healthier.
- Some Swedes like to add a tablespoon or two of sugar and a touch of mace. After the kale has been simmering in the cream for about 5 minutes, have a taste and then, if you like, add some sugar and mace if you think it would improve the dish.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
