This twist on a Caesar salad is genuinely delicious and not at all worthy

"Massaging kale" is a phrase you hear a lot in the food world. In the past few years, the word “kale” has appeared emblazoned across tote bags and sweaters and as the main ingredient in every juice and salad in trendy coffee shops.

The poet Charly Cox sums up that strange era perfectly in two short lines: “Oh kale leaves how you depress me/ I only eat you so boys want to undress me.” Never a truer word spoken.

For a long time kale occupied the same place as those bags of supermarket spinach for me – helpful to have around when you want to add a handful of green to something “for health”, but quite uninspiring to eat. 

As usual with crazes, though, there was some truth behind it. If you really do spend a few minutes scrunching kale leaves with lemon, olive oil and salt, they become something different – something altogether softer and more delicate, something that will hold a thick dressing really well and bring a nice bitterness.

Kale caesar sounds like something you’d find in an overpriced salad bar, but it’s genuinely delicious and not at all worthy. For this version, you’ll beat an egg yolk with lemon and mustard, then trickle in extra virgin olive oil until it almost reaches the thickness of mayonnaise. Garlic gives it that familiar punch, but you’ll reserve the usual finely chopped anchovies for the oil that you’ll use to fry crunchy breadcrumbs. 

You could have this with soft boiled eggs and make it more of a classic caesar, but for a Friday night I love serving them with lamb steaks, seared quickly so they stay pink, then finished with sharp, honeyed pickled chillies and garlic. It’s about the least January way of eating kale as any I can think of. 

The Art of Friday Night Dinner by Eleanor Steafel (RRP £26). Buy now for £19.99 at books.telegraph.co.uk or call 0844 871 1514.