Grønlangkål

The Danish Christmas green: curly kale boiled, finely chopped, and folded into a rich creamy béchamel seasoned with sugar and nutmeg, served hot beside the salted and smoked pork of the festive table

Origin: Denmark

From the journey of Kale.

Grønlangkål, 'long kale', is the kale of the Danish midwinter and, above all, of Christmas. Across Denmark and southern Scandinavia the curly kale, grønkål, stood green in the garden when every other vegetable had given up, and it earned a fixed place at the heart of the festive table. The dish is simple in idea and rich in execution: the kale is boiled until tender, chopped very fine, and then folded into a smooth creamy sauce, a béchamel of butter, flour, and milk or the kale's own cooking liquor, seasoned with sugar, salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg into a thick, soft, soothing purée of greens. The cream and the touch of sugar temper the slight bitterness of the frost-touched kale, and the result is a gentle, comforting counterpoint to the salt and smoke of the Christmas pork it accompanies: the hamburgerryg, the smoked saddle, the boiled ham, and the little caramelised potatoes of the Danish julefrokost. Like all the kales of the north, the Danish grønkål is held to be at its best only after the first hard frost has sweetened it, and grønlangkål belongs to the darkest, coldest, most festive weeks of the year.

Ingredients

The Kale

800 g curly kale, tough stems removed

Cream Sauce

50 g butter
40 g plain flour
400 ml whole milk, warmed
150 ml reserved kale cooking water or single cream
1 tsp sugar
0.25 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the kale and boil for 8 to 10 minutes until completely tender. Drain well, reserving a cupful of the cooking water, and press out the excess liquid.
Chop the drained kale very finely, almost to a coarse purée, with a large knife or in a food processor.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to a pale roux. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and the reserved kale water or cream, a little at a time, to make a smooth, thick white sauce. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir the chopped kale into the sauce. Season with the sugar, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper, and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring, until thick and well combined.
Serve hot, as a side to smoked or salted pork, ham, or sausages, especially at the Christmas table.

Notes

Traditionally served at the Danish julefrokost (Christmas lunch) alongside hamburgerryg (smoked pork saddle), boiled ham, and brunede kartofler (caramelised potatoes). Some cooks use part double cream in place of milk for a richer sauce, and a little of the smoked-pork cooking liquor stirred in deepens the flavour. The dish can be made a day ahead and gently reheated. Frozen chopped kale works perfectly well here, since the kale is fully cooked and finely chopped in any case.

The Gastrographer

Name: Grønlangkål
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Denmark
Ingredients: 800 g curly kale, tough stems removed; 50 g butter; 40 g plain flour; 400 ml whole milk, warmed; 150 ml reserved kale cooking water or single cream; 1 tsp sugar; 0.25 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control