Cooking: Blanch and Squeeze

Blanching kale before adding it to other dishes is a good way of fixing its colour and ensuring it isn’t overcooked. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, drop in the kale in small batches and cook for 30 seconds for red Russian, 1–2 minutes for curly and 2–3 minutes for cavolo nero. Remove the blanched kale with a slotted spoon and plunge it straight into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking and lock in the colour. When cooled, squeeze well to get rid of the water (it’s easiest to use your hands), then chop and add where it’s needed.