Kalettes and Duck Confit

This was a wonderful accompaniment to the Smashed Root Gratin. Fresh kalettes can be sauteed until tender but I prefer to blanch mine first to remove any aphids that are always hiding inside the frilly little heads.

About 1/2 pound fresh kalettes
2 legs duck confit
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large pinch dried fermented Mareko Fana pepper flakes
1 small handful dried tart cherries
Cherry balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Blanch the kalettes for 2 minutes and then drain them and plunge them into a large bowl of ice water. Let them cool completely, drain them, spin most of the moisture off in a salad spinner. Set aside.

Remove the skin from the duck legs leaving the skin intact. Heat a 10-inch skillet over low heat and place the duck skin in the pan. Slowly cook the duck skin, turning over occasionally, until most of the fat is rendered and the skin is crisp. Place the crisp skin on paper towels to drain. Set the skillet aside, do not discard the fat.

Remove the duck flesh from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Place the skillet with the duck fat over medium heat. When the fat is hot again, don't let it smoke, sizzle the garlic briefly then add the pepper flakes and dried cherries to the pan and stir to mix. Add the blanched kalettes to the pan and toss for a couple of minutes to heat them through. Add the shredded duck to the skillet and continue tossing until everything is hot. Transfer to a preheated serving bowl and drizzle with the Cherry balsamic to taste and season with salt and pepper. Chop some of the crisp duck skin and sprinkle that over the top. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.