How to Make Sautéed Shitake, Kale, and Leeks

By Erik, on April 25th, 2011 Click on photos to expand

This easy recipe was my end of Dark Days / welcome back to fresh greens meal.

Sautéed Shitake, Kale, and Leeks
Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

Amount	Ingredient	Preparation	Where we bought it (* Union Sq. Greenmarket)
1 bunch	Dinosaur or Tuscan kale	If necessary due to thickness, trim or remove stems	Norwich Meadows *
4 large	Shitake mushrooms	Stems removed and sliced	Bulich Mushrooms *
1 – 2	Leeks	Thinly sliced	Paffenroth Gardens *
1 bunch	Fresh chives	Chopped	Paffenroth Gardens *
1- 2 TBsp	Unsalted butter	Use 1 TBsp if you want it a little healthier	Ronnybrook Farm Dairy *
1 tsp	Soy sauce	I used Nama Shoyu, but any will do
0.25 tsp	Sesame oil	Either toasted or not
0.25 tsp	Kosher salt

Directions:

If necessary, trim the stems on the kale. On this bunch the stems weren’t too thick so I left them in, but they did extend beyond the leaves enough that I decided to trim them back. It’s easy when there is a rubber band around them! One trick is to wash them by filling a salad spinner with water and then swish the greens around in it. Then let them float on top for a minute or two to let any loose dirt sink. Lift the basket full of greens out of the spinner and pour out the dirty water. Put the basket back in, place the top on, and spin dry. We’ve found this to be the fastest way to wash a small amount of greens without wasting a lot of water (e.g., by filling the whole sink or washing them under running water).
Once your greens are washed and spun, chop the fresh chives and slice the leeks. Be sure to wash the leeks very thoroughly. There is usually soil in every nook and cranny; it’s often necessary to peel them apart and clean the layers one by one.
Slice the mushrooms. I usually brush visible dirt off of shitake or Portobello mushrooms, but I don’t wash them unless absolutely necessary because it impacts the texture.
Put the pan on medium-low heat. I included a picture here because I often have difficulty judging medium-low. Melt the butter.
Add the mushrooms, chives, leeks, and salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are shrunken and look cooked and the leeks and chives are softened.
Add the kale and the soy sauce. Let the kale wilt down, but just barely; don’t overcook it. I always wind up with a pile of greens that overflows the pan (see the picture below). When this happens, I let the bottom layer cook down for a minute, and then I use tongs to grab and “flip” everything. I give it another minute and then repeat, always making sure that a fresh bunch of greens is on the pan. It will cook down very quickly this way. The volume won’t be a problem for long.
Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the sesame oil before serving.