Kale Brose is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of greens cooked in meat stock made from cow heel that's thickened with oatmeal. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Kale Brose.
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This is a traditional Scottish recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
132. INGREDIENTS.—Half an ox-head or cow-heel, a teacupful of toasted oatmeal, salt to taste, 2 handfuls of greens, 3 quarts of water.
Mode.—Make a broth of the ox-head or cow-heel, and boil it till oil floats on the top of the liquor, then boil the greens, shred, in it. Put the oatmeal, with a little salt, into a basin, and mix with it quickly a teacupful of the fat broth: it should not run into one doughy mass, but form knots. Stir it into the whole, give one boil, and serve very hot.
Time.—4 hours. Average cost, 8d. per quart.
Seasonable all the year, but more suitable in winter.
Sufficient for 10 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 cow heel
120g toasted oatmeal
salt, to taste
75g greens (any strong-tasting greens) — as the name suggests, kale is ideal
3l water
Method:
Combine the cow heel and water in a stockpot, bring to a boil then continue simmering until you have a broth where the oil from the meat floats on top of the liquor (about 80 minutes). In the meantime, blanch the greens in boiling water, drain, shred and add to the stock. Combine the oatmeal and salt in a bowl, take 200ml of the stock and quickly mix into the oatmeal.
The resultant mixture should form knots (rather than being a doughy mass). Stir this into the stockpot, bring to a boil then take off the heat. Remove the cow heel, ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve.
