A friend of mine had laryngitis and this was a mercy-run care package I whipped up for her. It’s light and healthy. Kale belongs to the same family as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. It is a rich source of beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C and calcium. There are different cultivars – curly leaved, plain leaved and Tuscan kale (also known as cavolo nero). The most common variety of kale, used by many without realising, is gai lan or chinese broccoli.
To poach chicken, combine 1L water, miso paste and raw sugar in a saucepan and bring to boil. Once boiled, slip chicken breast in and cover with a lid. Remove from heat and allow chicken to poach in liquid for 45 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, shred chicken breast and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a square piece of muslin cloth, place cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, star anise and coriander seeds. Tie up the muslin cloth to form a spice pouch.
In another saucepan, add chicken stock and spice pouch and bring to boil. Then add fish sauce and rock sugar.
To serve, place shredded chicken and zucchini in a bowl. Then quickly blanch kale in boiling broth. Add kale to the bowl and ladle a generous amount of broth in the bowl.