Curly kale, ricotta and saffron hot cakes with saffron aïoli

Serves 6-8 as a snack or brunch dish (makes 28) Starters and mains

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Method

First make the aïoli. In a cup, put the saffron and 2tsp boiling water and leave for 10 minutes to soak.

Put the yolks, mustard, vinegar and a few sea salt flakes into a bowl and whisk to combine.

Mix the two oils together, then start to drip in the oil slowly, whisking (easier with electric beaters) continuously. Use a cloth under the bowl so it doesn’t slide around, as you will need two hands to make it. As the mixture starts to emulsify and thicken, start adding the oil just a little bit faster.

When around 200ml of the oil has been used up, add the saffron water and continue adding the oil in a slow but steady stream until it gets thicker and thicker and all the oil has been used up.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice and more salt, if needed. If the aïoli is too thick for your requirements, add a little cold water or a little more lemon juice.

To make the hot cakes, rinse and drain the kale, put it in a pot and just cover with boiling water. Boil over a high heat until wilted. You want the leaves to be tender but not overcooked, so keep an eye on it and taste it frequently. Drain and refresh under the cold tap to keep the colour.

Roughly crush the saffron threads in a mortar, cover with 2tsp boiling water and set aside.

Sift the flour into a bowl and add some sea salt flakes. In a second, larger bowl, mix together the ricotta and Italian hard cheese and whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the saffron liquid and beat in the flour.

Squeeze out as much water as possible from the drained kale, then chop finely and stir it into the batter. Put the 3 egg whites and the cream of tartar in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Fold into the mixture, a few spoonfuls at a time.

Heat a little of the oil in a large frying pan over a very low heat. Place heaped tbsp measures into the hot pan, forming a neat, flat shape. They need plenty of time in the pan to cook through, so watch they don’t over-brown and moderate the heat to avoid this. Cook until golden on the bottom, then flip over to cook until golden on the underside. Wrap in foil and put in a low oven until all are cooked. Serve hot with the aïoli.

This recipe was taken from the May 2020 issue of Food and Travel.

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