Swiss Chard Gratin from ‘Winter Cabin Cooking’
This week, we’re spotlighting recipes from Winter Cabin Cooking: Dumplings, Fondue, Strudel, Glühwein, and Other Fireside Feasts by Lizzie Kamenetzky (Ryland Peters & Small), a British food stylist and writer and a former food editor for U.K. food magazine, delicious. Try making the recipe at home and let us know what you think!
Photo: Nassima Rothacker
Swiss Chard Gratin
Serves 6
My gratin is iron-rich and full of goodness, only somewhat negated by the cream and cheese! This gratin is great as a meal in itself with a little added bacon if you want a meaty hit.
800 g/1 3⁄4 pounds Swiss chard
50 g/3 1⁄2 tablespoons butter
75 g/1⁄2 cup plus 1 tablespoon plain/all-purpose flour
200 ml/scant 1 cup crème fraîche
300 ml/1 1⁄4 cups double/heavy cream
Freshly grated nutmeg
50 g/1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and a good squeeze of juice
50 g/heaping 1⁄2 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Preheat the grill/broiler to medium. Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the chard for 2–3 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold running water. Squeeze out as much of the water as possible and set aside.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the crème fraîche, cream, and a good grating of nutmeg. Simmer for 2–3 minutes. Season.
Mix the breadcrumbs with the lemon zest, cheese, and olive oil.
Mix the chard and the sauce together. Spoon the chard into a large ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, then put under the grill/broiler for a couple of minutes until golden brown and bubbling. (If you like, you can mix the sauce with the chard and leave until ready to cook. Heat through in a medium oven for 5–10 minutes before browning under the grill/broiler.)
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Reprinted with permission from Winter Cabin Cooking: Dumplings, Fondue, Strudel, Glühwein, and Other Fireside Feasts by Lizzie Kamenetzky (Ryland Peters & Small).
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