Parmesan Pepper Curly Kale Chips

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons pepper black divided freshly ground
• 3 pounds curly kale (see Cooks' notes)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 8 tablespoons parmigiano-reggiano divided finely grated
• 18 servings sea salt divided fine

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• aluminum foil
• spatula

Directions

1. Heat oven to 275°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
2. Line rimmed sheet pans with parchment or nonstick foil.
3. Cut out and discard stems and center ribs from kale. Aim for 32 cups of leaves (use a 1- or 2-quart glass measure and pack leaves without crushing them). Wash leaves and dry well.
4. Transfer half of kale to a large bowl. Toss with half of oil, rubbing leaves to make sure they are well coated, then toss with half of parmesan, pepper, and salt. Once the first half is in the oven, repeat with the other half of the kale.
5. Working in batches, spread leaves in a single layer on lined sheet pans and bake, switching positions of sheets halfway through, until crisp, about 25 minutes.
6. Transfer crisps with a metal spatula to baking sheets or platters to cool. Reuse parchment or foil for successive batches.
7. •Bunches of kale can vary tremendously in the amount of stems they include, skewing the weight and therefore the yield. Some varieties of curly kale, particularly organic ones, include very little stem, so you may only need to buy 2 pounds to reach 32 cups.•Kale crisps can be made 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container at cool room temperature. Re-crisp in 275°F oven, if necessary.•If you're using Tuscan kale, you can follow the exact same procedure using 2 pounds of Tuscan kale (aka lacinato or dinosaur kale) with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt.