Sea Kale

On sea kale root

A short video of Robin Harford on the delights & virtues of sea kale (Crambe maritima) root.

Sea Kale Rosti

Very few people mention using the root of sea kale, but in this sea kale recipe the deep flavours come through, a combination between cooked broccoli stems and sweet chestnuts. A very interesting sea kale recipe, and one well worth trying if you like something different.

A warning though, digging up sea kale roots needs the land owners permission, and because digging up the roots causes the plant to die, please only try this very occasionally. In some parts of the country sea kale is very scarce.

Read: Foraging And The Law

Sea Kale Root Recipe Ingredients

  • 150g sea kale roots (grated)
  • 150g sweet potato (grated)
  • oil (couple of glugs)
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • salt & pepper

Sea Kale Root Recipe Instructions

  1. Grate sea kale root and sweet potatoes and combine in a bowl
  2. Add flour, salt & pepper and beaten egg, mix together
  3. Form into patties, then bake in a moderate over 160° C for roughly 20 minutes

Serves: 4 (as a side dish)

A Mouthwatering Pickled Sea Kale Recipe

Pickled Sea Kale is one of the delights during the foragers year. Although scarce throughout most of the UK, down in Dorset there is four miles of the stuff. So only make this Pickled Sea Kale recipe when you find a glut of the plant.

Perfect as a condiment on its own, pickled Sea Kale also goes well in salads or as an addition to a Wild Relish.

Pickled Sea Kale Recipe Ingredients

  • Young red sea kale stems
  • Cider vinegar
  • Muscavado sugar
  • Salt
  • Water

Pickled Sea Kale Recipe Instructions

  1. Blanch the Sea Kale stems in boiling salted water (1tbsp of sea salt for every pint of water) for roughly 20 seconds.
  2. Remove from hot water and immediately plunge into cold water, then remove and pat dry.
  3. Get a clean, sterilised jar and push the Sea Kale stems into the jar until it is full.
  4. Next add a good pinch of sea salt, some black peppercorns, a teaspoon of muscavado sugar, then pour over cider vinegar until the jar is full and the Sea Kale stems are covered.
  5. Shake and store in a cupboard for 3 months to mature.

Makes: As many jars as you have Sea Kale for.