Michael Anthony. His Restaurants: Gramercy Tavern in New York

What He's Known For: A fine-dining take on hyper-seasonal American cuisine. Treating foie gras and fingerling potatoes with equal respect.

ANTIOXIDANTS, FIBER, calcium, iron, potassium: These are our mantras in the aftermath of December's excesses. Leafy, deep-green kale has all that and then some. Combined with fresh cabbage, carrot and onion, tossed in a bold, creamy dressing, it adds up to an appealing and genuinely satisfying winter salad. New Year's resolutions? No problem. You're on safe ground here. None of the ingredients is esoteric, and the dish comes together in no time. Moreover, it keeps. "I make lots of this and let it sit in the fridge," Mr. Anthony said. "It actually gets better with age." Over the course of several days, the dressing penetrates deep into the vegetables and softens their bite.

Use any variety of kale you like, the chef said, but seek out bunches with firm, shiny leaves and moist, snappy stems. To the mineral flavor of the kale, the carrot adds sweetness; the cabbage, a pleasing bitterness; and the onion, a nice astringent kick.

The one hint of decadence here, the dressing, has a rich mayonnaise base. "People are constantly surprised that you can make mayonnaise at home," Mr. Anthony said. "And it actually takes just three minutes." Simply whisk an egg yolk with a little mustard to help emulsify and bind the dressing, then, drop by drop, beat in equal measures of olive and grapeseed oil. Once the dressing is good and thick, mix in the lemon juice, garlic and capers, along with a spoonful of the capers' flavorful brine.

Go ahead and use your hands to toss the salad, massaging the rich dressing into the vegetables to coat every last crunchy bite. At times like this, we need all the decadence we can get.

Yield: 4-6