Chard Fennel Tomato Gratin

This is a dish that is fine served hot or room temperature. The sweet flavors of fennel, onion, and tomato play off the earthy quality of the chard, and while the topping is optional, the crunch really is a wonderful counterpoint.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch red chard, leaves stripped, stems cut into ¼ inch pieces, leaves cut into 1 into squares, washed separately and drained

1 medium yellow onion, cut into ¼ inch dice

2 heads fennel, stalks removed and ½ cup loose fronds stripped of stalks and reserved, 1 head cut into ¼ inch dice, the other head sliced crosswise into 1/8th inch thin slices

4-6 medium tomatoes, seeded, sliced horizontally ¼ inch thick

2 cloves garlic minced

½ teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon fennel seed, freshly ground to a powder (if all you have is fennel seed powder, skip this)

1 cup homemade bread crumbs*

½ cup Gruyère, grated*

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil as needed

METHOD:

Lightly salt the tomatoes so they give off some moisture. When it is time to use them, drain off any liquid and blot tomatoes gently to soak up liquid and salt.

Heat oven to 400°F. Bring a pot of water large enough to hold the sliced fennel to a boil, and salt well. Heat a large skillet over medium-high.

When the pan is hot, film liberally with oil and wait for oil to get hot. When hot, add the chard stems, onions, and fennel dice, and toss well to coat the vegetables with oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and sauté, stirring as needed to prevent scorching, until onions and fennel are “clear” and just tender.

While the vegetables are sautéing, dump the sliced fennel into the boiling water and blanch just until the fennel is just cooked. Drain and set aside in the drainer or on a kitchen towel.

Once the onion/chard stems/fennel are just tender, make a well in the center of the pan, add a touch of oil, and add the garlic and half the thyme. Cook just until the garlic is aromatic. Pour into a bowl.

Make sure the pan is still filmed with oil. If not, add just enough to slick the pan. Add the chard, drizzle with the vinegar all around, sprinkle with the rest of the thyme and fennel seed powder, and sauté just until the chard wilts. Use tongs to transfer to the bowl with the other vegetables, allowing any liquid to drip back into the pan. If there is a fair amount of liquid (2 tablespoons) add a little olive oil and cook until liquid reduces to a ½ tablespoon, then pour into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss all the ingredients until well mixed.

Transfer ingredients to a lightly oiled 9 x 11 inch gratin dish. Arrange dish so it runs lengthwise away from you, and, starting furthest away from you, scale the tomato slices so they run across the dish and overlap by 50 -75%.

Chop the fennel fronds and toss with the bread crumbs. Drizzle with a little oil and toss to combine well. Sprinkle with the cheese and then gently toss to mix. Scatter the top of the gratin with the chees/crumbs and place in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the dish is heated through, the crumbs are golden, and the cheese has melted. Serve hot or allow to cool to room temperature.

Chef’s Notes: *These are an option you may choose to skip. If so, just scatter half the fennel fronds over the gratin before cooking.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen