Recipe of the week: Crispy kale salad with lime dressing

Kale salads were everywhere in the first half of 2012, but it was still unlikely that one of them would outclass countless impressive new entrées to be crowned our “dish of the year,” said Bon Appétit. At the Brooklyn restaurant Battersby, chefs Joseph Ogrodnek and Walker Stern beat the odds by devising a version that includes the green in both fresh and roasted form. It’s “life-altering—seriously.”

Crispy kale salad with lime dressing

• 1½ tbsp light brown sugar
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ¼ red jalapeño, seeded, thinly sliced
• 24 small Tuscan (lacinato) kale leaves
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 cups mixed herbs (such as cilantro, mint, basil)
• 3 cups mixed shaved vegetables (such as carrots, beets, radishes)
• 2 cups pea tendrils, watercress, or baby arugula
• 2 cups thinly sliced Tuscan kale leaves
• 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

In a bowl, microwave sugar and 2 tbsp water on high until sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Let cool. Whisk in next 4 ingredients for dressing.

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Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 250 degrees. Brush tops of small kale leaves with oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets top to bottom halfway through, until kale is crisp, about 30 minutes. Transfer leaves from baking sheets to a wire rack; let cool.

Mix herbs and remaining ingredients with 6 tbsp dressing in a large bowl. Divide salad among plates; top with crispy kale leaves and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serves 6.