RECIPE | Chard gratin

A compulsion

Last weekend my Sunday soup habit was sidelined by a few bunches of chard biding in the fridge. A vegetable I love, particularly in this form; it’s pavlovian: when in chard, make gratin. I also had wilted spinach, abandonned sorrel and three sausages. These other elements are not necessary and neither of them hurt the outcome one bit but essential are just: chard, béchamel and cheese.

Béchamel may sound unwieldy but it’s really quite easy if you forget the extra saucepan and just think of the luscious result.

The sensuous cousin of my favourite kind of soup, it was a ‘languishing in the fridge’ type of gratin.

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Chard gratin recipe

3 bunches of green chard (could also be Swiss chard though green chard is my favourite for gratin)
Spinach and sorrel (optional)
3 sausages (also optional)
Béchamel —

• 3 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsps flour, about 1/2 litre milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper

Parmigiano (or other grated cheese)

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Turn the oven on to 175C (350F) and butter a gratin dish.

Prepare the vegetables (and sausage if using):

Trim the dried ends off the chard stalks, remove any damaged bits of leaves, then chop the chard into 2-inch strips. Wash thoroughly and dry in a salad spinner or colander.

[Prepare the spinach and sorrel in a similar way if using.
If using sausages, remove the casings and brown the sausage meat in a frying pan until crispy in part. Set aside.]

Prepare the béchamel:

In a medium saucepan melt the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk to form a thick paste. Let the flour cook a little, while still stirring, about one minute. Add the milk a little at a time. Initially the paste will bunch together and seem thicker but as liquid is added it will become smooth again. Continue adding milk until the desired consistency is achieved. I personally like the béchamel to be quite runny for this. Add salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg if desired.

Assemble the gratin:

Toss the prepared leaves in a bowl with salt and pepper, massaging them slightly. Put them into the dish. [If using, sprinkle the bits of sausage over the greens.] Pour the béchamel over the greens as evenly as possible in order to cover everything up. Grate a generous amount of cheese over the top.

Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Take the dish out of the oven and let the gratin settle for a few minutes before serving.
This is particularly delicious with fish.

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