I am having so much fun trying out recipes that contain black garlic and preserved lemons. These new to me ingredients just seem to be a match made in heaven. Their individual flavors absolutely complement each other. (If either or both of these ingredients are new to you, please read about them at the bottom of this post.)

So when I was hungry for chicken last evening, I decided to play around and see what kind of concoction I could create to enhance the flavor of a simple pan fried chicken breast. I not only wanted the chicken dish to be terribly tasty (of course), but I insisted to my sauce loving self, that any topping I produced would not only be delicious, but healthy! (Not easy for me, because I love me my cream sauces!)

So with the knowledge that the half wine barrels behind my house had beautiful stems of kale at the absolute peek of their deliciousness, I started my chicken topping with just picked, washed and roughly cut kale. To the kale I added a few other ingredients, and the recipe you find below is the result.

This recipe is easy to prepare, and fairly inexpensive if you already have the black garlic and preserved lemons that is. If you don’t happen to have these 2 ingredients in your refrigerator, you can always substitute with regular garlic and fresh lemon juice.

But please don’t hesitate to purchase both of these innovative products and experience for yourself the wonder of these two culinary delights. Each can be used in almost any of your favorite savory recipes calling for garlic or lemon juice.

FYI: I am, as I write, trying out recipes for both preserved lemons and black garlic. Both take time. So I have lemon pieces brining away in my refrigerator and on the counter of my outdoor kitchen, heads of garlic heating away on the warm only option in my rice cooker.

Spoiler warning! I know already that my preserved lemon pieces are going to be divine. (I cheated and used some last evening, even though my preserved lemon recipe calls for at least 10 more days of refrigerated incarceration for the lemons to be completely “preserved”.) And the garlic heads need at least 2 more weeks before they have turned a stunning shade of black, and therefore ready to be classified as “black garlic”. I shall endeavor to keep you posted.

In the meantime, have fun in your kitchen and don’t forget to try new recipes that include newfangled ingredients. New dishes are fabulous for our taste buds and serve to help us retain our cognitive skills. And for those of us who are senior citizens, any help in that arena is much appreciated.  

• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in half lengthwise and dried with paper towels
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 c. roughly chopped kale, dried (I use my salad spinner)
• 2 cloves black garlic, finely chopped
• 1 fresh garlic clove, finely minced (or more if you don’t use black garlic)
• tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ c. chicken stock
• 2 tsp. minced preserved lemon or 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 c. shredded provolone cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan. Add the chicken to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry until the first side is just starting to brown. Flip to the second side, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the interior temperature reaches at least 165 degrees. (Best way to check is with an instant read thermometer poked into the thickest part of the meat.) Remove from pan when done, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside.

Meanwhile, using the same pan, sauté the kale until it starts to soften, about 6-7 minutes. Add the black and fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, and chicken stock. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the preserved lemon and adjust seasoning.

To serve, place a piece of chicken on each person’s plate, add a quarter of the kale topping, and sprinkle with a fourth of the shredded cheese. Serve immediately.

Black Garlic is a type of aged garlic often used in Asian cuisine. It is made by heating whole heads of regular old fashioned store bought garlic slowly over the course of 2-3 weeks. The taste is earthy and somewhat similar to roasted garlic, but with sweet and syrupy hints of balsamic vinegar and molasses. Much more mellow than raw or cooked garlic. The texture is kind of sticky and spongy like you would imagine if it were a clove of garlic disguised as a black gummy bear. (At least that’s what it reminds me of. Not the flavor of course, but the texture and appearance.) Black garlic is perfect in salads, pastas, sauces for various meats, and any other dish that would benefit from a mellow touch of garlic.

Preserved Lemons are fresh lemons preserved in salt and lemon juice. (Or in the case of my made-up recipe, a couple of additional ingredients.) Great in Moroccan dishes and any savory recipe calling for lemon zest/rind or lemon juice. Perfect in sauces, salads, salad dressings, pasta dishes, main dishes, you name it! Recipe for homemade preserved lemons soon to follow.