Swiss Chard Au Gratin

Being new to swiss chard I searched the internet for a recipe. This one was on YouTube and won me over. It has become my ‘Go To’ recipe for swiss chard. One of the ingredients is anchovies, of which I am not a fan, but I felt adventurous. The anchovies dissolve into the other ingredients and there is NO anchovy fishy flavor. It leaves a depth to the finished product that is only recognizable as delicious! I am posting the shortcut version; both are good. You decide which you would rather prepare.

Ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

1. Separate swiss chard stems from leaves. Chop stems and blanch for 2 minutes. Then cold shock to stop cooking. Drain all excess water OR you can compost stems and skip this whole process.
2. Melt butter in medium frying pan on medium heat, add chopped stems and sauté for several minutes, then add onion and sauté until just translucent.
3. Add minced garlic and sauté for about one minute, then add anchovy paste. Stir until anchovy paste disappears. (Please try not to skip the anchovy paste. It really does make a difference in depth of flavor, but I'm sure it would be good without it too.)
4. Cut swiss chard into thirds and add to pan. Stir ingredients together and let greens reduce in size, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth as needed to keep greens moist. Be sure not to add so much broth to where it becomes soupy.
5. Once the greens have wilted, taste for any remaining bitterness that there may be. This process may take up to 15 minutes, but as little as 5-10 minutes depending on the greens.
6. When desired bitterness is gone then remove pan from heat and quickly stir in 1/4 C of parmesan cheese (Do not over stir...more cheese will be left on the spoon than in the mixture). Place mixture in small shallow baking dish and top with remainder of cheese.
7. Bake in 375 oven until cheese has melted and just browning, about 20 minutes.

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