On crispy kale......

     I got my inspiration for this salad from two dishes. One of dishes I had in Miami at a restaurant called yakko-san.  They serve crispy bok choy tossed in roasted garlic and soy, its probably one of my favorite dishes on the menu next to their kimchi hot pot. The second dish is from Battersby (the restaurant I'm currently trailing at), one of their popular dishes is a crispy kale salad with papaya and scallion tossed in a chilli lime dressing. Both amazing dishes with a very similar concept, you take a fried leafy green and toss it in a vinegary salty dressing. I decided to do my own take on a crispy kale salad. I fried some kale and tossed it in a roasted garlic scented balsamic vinegar. To make the vinegar, I took slices of garlic and browned them in a pan with some extra virgin olive oil. Once the garlic turned golden brown I incorporated the balsamic vinegar, sugar and bay leaves. I brought the dressing up to a boil and then turned it off. Once the dressing cooled I fried my kale and tossed it with the garlic balsamic mixture. I paired the kale with fresh ricotta, pine nuts, and kadota figs. I'm very pleased with the outcome of this salad, it's currently on our new extended restaurant week menu.