Swiss Chard Stems Grilled With Anchovy Vinaigrette Recipe 55

Steps:

• Wash the chard. Cut off the white stalks and trim their ends and any discolored portions. Heat the oil in a covered pan and add the garlic and anchovies, allow this to cook until the anchovies have melted into the oil, about 5 minutes. Cut the chard stalks into 1-inch pieces, blanch them in boiling water and refresh under a cold tap. Drain well, add them to the oil and season with the pepper. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. If you wish you may add the chard greens at this stage and cook for a further 3 to 5 minutes or you may wish to use the greens for something else.

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until well combined but still a little chunky. This makes a large quantity. It keeps well and tastes good on everything. Blanch stems in salted boiling water in batches till just tender, about 2 minutes per batch, then transfer to an ice bath. It is very important to follow all the rules of blanching and not overcrowd the pot. Any shortcuts here results in the color turning black. Dry the blanched stems, toss them lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place them on the grill in a single layer. Grill long and slow until they become quite dark and charred but not burned. Toss with the Anchovy Vinaigrette and a splash of sherry vinegar. Serve warm

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Strip the chard leaves from the stems using a knife, scissors or simply your hands. Reserve the leaves for another use.
• Trim the bottom 1/8 inch of the chard stem, to remove the dry, discolored bit. Clean the stems by submerging in cold water and rinsing thoroughly.
• Aggressively season your boiling water with kosher salt.
• Working in batches, blanch the chard stems until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and let cool on a baker's rack or in a colander to continue draining.
• Grill blanched, dry chard stems evenly on both sides until charred and blistered here and there, like perfect pizza crust looks from a wood oven.
• Cut the stems into batons, and thoroughly dress the stems with roasted garlic oil (see recipe), a few drops of lemon juice and a few flakes of Maldon salt.