Baked Kale Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 large bunches redbor kale (about 1.3 kg), stems trimmed (700 g regular kale)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 8 slices bacon, cut into 1cm pieces.
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons natural maple syrup
• 1 can (430 g) black-eyed beans, rinsed
• 0.5 cups toasted almond needles
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C with a rack in the middle position.
2. Set aside 170 grams of smaller kale leaves (no more than 5 cm). Thinly slice the remaining kale and place in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss with your hands, squeezing, until the kale begins to wilt slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Place the remaining kale leaves on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake until the kale begins to brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes, gently tossing halfway through.
4. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Turn off the heat and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat from the skillet. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook over residual heat until the garlic is softened, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining vinegar and maple syrup. Slowly whisk in the remaining butter. Season with salt to taste.
5. Remove the cabbage from the oven and let it sit for at least 5 minutes to allow it to continue to crisp up as it cools.
6. To assemble the salad, gently toss fresh kale, beans, almonds, shallots, and crispy bacon with the vinaigrette. Top with the crispy kale. Serve immediately.