Caesar-Style Kale Pesto for Fish, Sliced Steak or Chicken

Ingredients

For the Caesar-Style Kale Pesto:
2 bundles flat Tuscan or black kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped, 5-6 cups, packed
Salt
1/2 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 small handfuls freshly grated Pecorino cheese, 1/3 cup
2 rounded teaspoons anchovy paste
2 large cloves garlic, grated or pasted
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds or pine nuts
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Juice of 2 lemons, divided
For the Fish:
4 whole filets of Branzino or red snapper
- For outdoor grill preparation, wooden fish boards, soaked
Seafood seasoning
For the Steak or Chicken:
1/2 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 to 4 sprigs of rosemary, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 spring onions or scallions, whites and greens, chopped
1 lemon, sliced
4 to 6 boneless steaks or chicken breasts
Sea or Kosher salt and black pepper

Yields: 4-6

Preparation

For the pesto, bring a pot of water to a boil; salt it and add kale. Cook 1 full minute, remove with tongs to a cold water bath to cool and squeeze out all the liquid in a clean kitchen towel. Add dry kale, now 2-3 cups total, to a food processor along with EVOO, cheese, anchovy paste, garlic, nuts, Worcestershire, Dijon and juice of 1 lemon. Process the pesto sauce until almost smooth. Use on fish, meat or pasta.

For fish, preheat oven to 400°F. Place a rack 1 level above center. Arrange filets skin side down on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet and season with seafood seasoning. Spread an even layer of pesto across each filet, covering the flesh completely. Roast until fish is white, flaky and opaque, 15-18 minutes. For an outdoor grill, soak wooden fish boards in water then arrange 1 filet on each board and top with fish seasoning and pesto. Grill over medium to medium-high heat covered until fish is white and flaky. Squeeze the juice of remaining lemon over cooked fish and serve.

For steak or chicken, place EVOO, garlic, rosemary, scallions and lemon slices in a large plastic food storage bag. Season steaks or chicken with salt and pepper, add to bag and marinate a few hours or up to overnight. Grill on a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat, 12 minutes for chicken and 8-10 for steak 1-1 1/2-inches thick. Let meat stand a few minutes then slice on an angle for chicken or against grain for steaks. Top with pesto sauce; serve with warm crusty bread alongside.