Grilled Swiss-Chard Stems With Roasted Garlic Oil
Don’t throw all those Swiss-chard stems away. Not everyone is a fan of including them with sautéed greens, but here’s a plan for the rest of us who love their texture and flavor. Prepare to blanch, blister and then dress these stems in an intense garlic oil. With a little lemon and salt to perk the taste buds, you’ve got a new favorite side dish.
- Total:
- Serves: 8 persons
Ingredients
- 3bunches of Swiss chard, any variety
- Kosher salt
- Roasted garlic oil (see recipe)
- Lemon
- Maldon salt
Instructions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.Step 2
Strip the chard leaves from the stems using a knife, scissors or simply your hands. Reserve the leaves for another use.Step 3
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.Step 4
Aggressively season your boiling water with kosher salt.Step 5
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.Step 6
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.Step 7
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.