Crostini:
- 1 large baguette, sliced
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
Kale:
- Two bunches kale, tough stems removed
- Sea salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Agra Dolce Onions:
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 3 tbsp white sugar
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Crispy Garlic:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- sea salt
- 250-300 grams goat cheese
Method:
For the crostini, slice a baguette into 1/2-inch slices and douse liberally in olive oil and sea salt. Bake on one layer in a very hot oven (500˚) for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip bread over and cook again, about 2 minutes, until second side is also browned.
For the kale, place a large frying pan on high heat and allow to preheat for 3 minutes. Strip large stems away from the kale and rip leaves into pieces (or use baby kale instead). Add dry kale directly into a hot pan and season with sea salt. Toss the kale in the pan occasionally until it turns a deep green colour, about 2 to 3 minutes. Once it has deepened in colour, add olive oil and stir kale constantly as it will begin to brown and fry quickly. Cook one minute longer, and check for seasoning. Set aside.
For the onions, place a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Fry onions until they start to develop colour, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add fennel seeds and cook one minute. When the onions have shrunk in size and started to brown, sprinkle with sugar and cook 30 seconds. Add balsamic vinegar and continue to cook 2 more minutes while stirring, until sugar and vinegar have reduced and create a thick coating for the onions.
To fry the garlic, place a small frying pan on medium heat. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and the sliced garlic to the pan. Cook about 1 to 2 minutes until garlic slices just begin to lightly brown. Remove garlic from oil, place a piece of paper towel, sprinkle generously with sea salt, and allow them to crisp up as they dry.
To assemble the crostini, top toasts with goat cheese. Spoon sautéed kale evenly over top. Garnish each crostini with a spoonful of the onions and a scattering of fried garlic.
Makes 12 toasts.