Extra recipe to accompany story, “An Old World Christmas,” published 12-12-2013
1 3/4 pounds small potatoes (such as fingerlings or new potatoes)
Salt to taste
3 1/4 pounds kale
2 onions
3 tablespoons pork lard or clarified unsalted butter (see note for recipe on sugar cookies)
Pepper
1 heaping tablespoons sugar
8 sausages, such as mild chorizo
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Mustard to taste
Cook the potatoes in salted water and peel them. Set them aside.
Strip the kale leaves from the ribs. Thoroughly wash the kale, changing the water several times until it is clean, as kale can be quite sandy. Let it drain in a sieve.
Peel the onions and chop them finely. Melt the lard or butter in a large pot and saute the onions until they are translucent. Coarsely chop the kale and add it to the onions.
Stirring constantly, briefly cook the kale and onions and season liberally with salt, pepper and 1 pinch of sugar. Pour in 1 cup of water and stir. Place the sausages on top of the kale. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 2 hours.
Shortly before the kale is cooked, melt the butter in a large heavy frying pan. Add the peeled potatoes and cook them over moderate heat until they are golden brown. Evenly sprinkle the remaining sugar over the potatoes, and, turning them frequently, caramelize them until they are golden brown. Season with salt. Remove the sausages from the kale and arrange them on a pre-warmed platter with the potatoes. Return the kale to a boil, stirring constantly, boil briefly and put the kale into a bowl. Serve any kind of mustard you like as a condiment for the sausages.
