Swiss chard & gruyere gratin
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
This can be prepared entirely in advance and then cooked when required. A very good accompaniment to beef, game, chicken, ham, sausages and fish, this is also a delicious meal in itself - with some bread for mopping purposes, and a green salad.

ingredients
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1½lbs/675g Swiss chard
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Olive oil
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Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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8 fl oz/250ml double cream
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1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
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Juice of ½ a lemon (1tbsp)
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3oz/85g Gruyere cheese, grated
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2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
directions
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6/Aga Roasting oven.
2. Chop the stems off the chard and cut into 1”/2.5cm chunks. Wash well and drain. Stack the leaves into piles with the larger leaves at the bottom, roll up into tight cigarette shapes and slice into fine ribbons, wash and drain but keep separate from the stems.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan or wok and add the stems. Stir-fry for about five minutes or until beginning to soften. Season and add the leaves a handful at a time, stirring until wilted. This will only take a few minutes. Tip into a sieve and leave to drain.
4. Meanwhile, pour the cream into the pan, season with a little salt and pepper, bring up to the boil and bubble fast for 2-3 minutes until really quite thick. (It needs to be thick as liquid from the chard will thin it out later.) Stir in the Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Return the chard to the pan and mix together. Check the seasoning and tip into a shallow ovenproof gratin dish. Scatter the cheese and dried breadcrumbs over the top and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.