Cheesy chard stem gratin served with mustard-dressed chard greens

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The thick stems of chard leaves are usually stripped of their leaves and thrown away, but this chard stem gratin recipe proves they deserve just as much attention as the bright green leaves – which are served alongside in a zingy mustard dressing. Take a look at Victoria's other recipes for using up stalks and stems here.

First published in 2019

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Swiss chard stem gratin

Mustard vinaigrette

Method

1
Preheat an oven to 200°C/gas mark 6 and butter the inside of an ovenproof dish (approx. 30cm in diameter)
2
Remove the thick chard stems from the leaves and cut into 2.5cm pieces. Set aside the leaves until later
3
Pour the milk and cream into a sauté pan or skillet with the garlic and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for a few minutes, then season generously with salt and pepper and remove from the heat
4
Tip in the chard stems, potatoes and picked thyme leaves and stir to combine
5
Tip everything into the buttered dish and shake it a bit until everything is in a fairly even layer, rather than a mound
6
Mix the grated cheeses with the breadcrumbs and scatter over the top. Grind some black pepper over and cover the top of the dish with buttered foil. Bake for 40 minutes, remove the foil, then put the uncovered gratin back in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the top is golden and bubbling. Leave the dish to sit on the side while you make the mustardy greens
7
Roughly chop the chard leaves and boil in salted water for a few minutes, or until they have wilted but still retain some bite
8
In the meantime, whisk all of the mustard vinaigrette ingredients together. Taste for mustard, seasoning and acidity, and adjust if necessary
9
Once the chard leaves are cooked, drain well, then toss the hot greens in the vinaigrette. Serve the chard stem and potato gratin with the mustard-dressed chard greens on the side

Victoria is a London-based food writer and recipe developer. She was the Roald Dahl Museum’s first ever Gastronomic Writer in Residence and has written six books, including her latest, Too Good To Waste.

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