I liked the inspiration recipe for this dish well enough but was more interested in something that was closer to the comfort of creamed spinach. This is it, but with a bit more personality than the classic dish. I served it with plain salmon with a squirt of lemon juice on top but it could stand up to something heartier - I think it would be great with grilled lamb chops for example. I also think that the finished dish could be further jazzed up by placing it in a baking dish, topping it with buttered panko and a sprinkle of Parmesan and finishing it under the broiler for a minute or two.
1 cup of basic Béchamel, recipe here.
1 Tbsp red miso (if you only have white use that but increase the amount of vinegar that you use slightly to offset the sweetness of the white miso)
1 Tbsp grain mustard
1 tsp champagne/sherry vinegar (not rice wine as it will add sweetness which we are trying to avoid)
1 lb baby kale
1/4 cup of water
Make the Béchamel according to the recipe linked above but omit the bay leaf. As the sauce is thickening and you are whisking away at it to avoid any lumps, add the miso, mustard and vinegar. Set aside.
Put the water in a large saucepan, add the kale as soon as the water has started to bubble and allow to wilt over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Once the kale is wilted down, about 3-5 minutes, transfer it to the pan with the sauce. You don't have to drain it as that is just more dishes that need to be cleaned but transfer over as little extra liquid as you can.
Reheat over low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly until the kale is coated with sauce and the dish is heated through.
I did not use any additional salt in this recipe because, to my taste, there was enough from the mustard and the miso. You may wish to adjust this recipe to your palate by salting the dish further. I solicited Stubbie's professional advice and he recommends salting.
Based on a recipe from food52, here.