Swiss Chard Stems with Anchovy or Miso Dressing
Makes enough dressing for a large bunch of Swiss chard (about 24 stems)
Grilling the stems over coals infuses them with that incomparable smoky flavor. The Swiss chard stems are delicious hot, right off the smoking grill, but they can also be kept for up to a day in the fridge (remove them half an hour before serving). For individual party-portion canapés, slice the chard once cool, and heap them onto bite-sized toasts no more than 15 minutes before they are served. If you are cooking the stems over coals or on a gas grill, toast some day-old slices of bread alongside, to serve with the juicy stems and to sop up every drop of dressing.
For a vegan version, substitute 2 Tablespoons of miso for the anchovies.
- Stems from 1 bunch Swiss chard (about 18 – 24 stems), ends trimmed, and washed
- 6 olive oil-packed anchovies, drained and finely chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
Bring a pot of water to the boil. Drop in the chard stems and cook until barely tender, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, and lay flat in a dish.
In a small bowl and jar mix together the anchovies, vinegar, and oil until emulsified. Alternatively, blend all the ingredients until very smooth. Pour the dressing over the blanched chard stems and turn to coat them very well.
For cooking over coals: Wait until your charcoal is red with a fine layer of ash. Remove the Swiss chard stems from the marinade* and grill them until they take some color on each side, about 2 minutes per side.
For pan-cooking: Heat dry skillet over high heat for half a minute, then add the stems in single layer (there will be smoke). Cook on one side for a couple of minutes, then flip. Continue to cook until the other side has charred in spots.
* (You can reuse any saved dressing, adding it to cooked pasta, or tossing crisp salad leaves in it.)
See also:
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)
