Swiss chard gratin
================== 2024-08-09


Directly inspired by: Côtes de chard au gratin

Comment: The Swiss chard comes in 2 forms, either long white stems with large leaves or smaller stems red, yellow or white with smaller leaves. In both cases, we eat the leaves and the stems (ribs). Lardons are optional and allow this dish to be served as a main dish.

4 people

Ingredients:
------------

800 g of swiss chard
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
5 dl of milk
100 g grated Gruyère cheese
200 g lardons (opt)
35 g flour + 35 g butter
nutmeg
Butter
EVOO
S + P


Preparation:
------------

Wash the Swiss chard, separate the green leaves from the white stems.
Cut the white parts into small sections (1/2") and roughly chop the green leaves and put them in 2 dishes.

Blanch the white parts for 5 minutes in salted boiling water.

Chop onion and garlic. In a skillet, heat a little EVOO. Add the onion and sauté a few minutes; then the garlic and sweat again 1 to 2 minutes. Add the green leaves, pepper and salt a little. Cook a few minutes until they have well wilted. Add the white parts, mix one last time and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Butter a gratin dish. Prepare a béchamel 35 g of butter, 35 g of flour, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the cold milk. Stir immediately and vigorously with a whisk. Add pepper, nutmeg and salt. Stir constantly with a whisk until the bechamel is very thick. Then, off the heat, add the grated cheese and mix again so that it melts. Taste and rectify seasoning.

Pour the bechamel on the chard and mix well. Pour everything into the buttered baking dish and bake forabout 30 minutes. Possibly, turn on the gril for the last 2 minutes to gratiner the top of the dish. Let cool 2 minutes and serve.