Monday, April 12. 2010Simple Malaga-style Chard
This weekend we went to a family friends' place for my mother-in-law's 75th birthday. The friends made some terrific grilled food (steak and shrimp), potatoes and bread, and I was in charge of the green vegetable. My sweetie, of course, did dessert (a chocolate ganache & lemon tart). However, we were only at the in-laws for a short time and I had a lot of errands to run, so I needed something tasty I could find the ingredients for at Fred Meyer's in Medford, and make in less than 40 minutes from grocery bag to portable serving dish.
Fortunately, I remembered Janet Mendel's Malaga-style Chard recipe fairly well. Or, at least, my adaptation of it; the original has rather too much in the sweet, poached raisins department for my taste. This version is a little more savory, and our family liked it a lot. No picture this time, sorry. Click through for the recipe ...
Slice the chard leaves about into about 1/2 inch strips across. Cut the stems into 1/2 inch pieces. Wash the chard and dry it (I suggest a salad spinner), keeping the stems and leaves separate. This is the hardest part of the recipe. Dice the onion. Toast the nuts in a toaster oven, oven, or small pan until lightly browned but not burnt (err on the light side here). You may toast the nuts at the same time you do the following steps. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat the oil & butter until foaming. Drop in the onion and fry, stirring, until translucent and some bits start to brown. Add the chard stems, and fry for a few minutes more, stirring. Add the marsala wine and bring it to a boil. Once the wine is boiling away, dump in the sliced chard leaves and salt them lightly, and then add the currants on top. Put a lid on the pot, turn the heat down to medium-low, and leave alone for 5-7 minutes. At the end of that time, the chard should have wilted. Stir it around, getting it to cook all over. Add fresh ground pepper, and a little more salt if you think it's needed. When the chard is completely wilted and the stems are softened, it's done. Turn off the heat and toss it with the toasted nuts. Works as a great side dish to just about anything European. This recipe serves 2-4 people; for larger parties, you can double or triple it without changing much (just not quite as much oil & butter). Trackbacks
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