Mediterranean Braised Chard Recipe
Adapted from Ana Sortun
Email
Though braising sounds like a time-consuming effort, this recipe from Ana Sortun, chef and owner of the Mediterranean restaurant Oleana in Cambridge, Massachusetts, can be pulled off in less than 30 minutes. The mix of Mediterranean ingredients like anchovy, raisins, capers, olives, pine nuts, and lemon lends tons of bright flavor and unexpected complexity without extra fat or calories.
Game plan: This recipe can be made with beet, mustard, turnip, or older dandelion greens in place of the chard; serve it with grilled meat or fish, or eat the greens on their own with a dollop of tangy yogurt.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 bunches Swiss chard, washed, thoroughly dried, and stem ends trimmed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup small-dice white onion
- 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins, also known as sultanas
- 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup whole pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice the chard stems from the leaves. Coarsely chop the stems and set aside; cut the leaves crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, anchovies, and raisins and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the capers and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the reserved chard stems and cook until they start to brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chard leaves and cook, stirring the leaves with tongs, until they’re wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the olives, pine nuts, and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Delicious! Made with red chard and it was very pretty. Followed recipe exactly, except didn't add salt; agree with others who say extra salt isn't needed
Whatever you do, do not add any salt! The combination of anchovies, olives, and capers does enough. This is a nice dish!
This was super! I used half regular and half red swiss chard and it made a gorgeous plate. Next I'm going to try it as a filling for a white lasagna. How could that not be wonderful?
This was delicious, quick, easy and healthy! I didn't use pine nuts or raisins but it came out wonderful.
I have made this 3 or 4 times now and each time it is wonderful.
A couple of times I didn't have enough chard, so I put some mushrooms in and it was great.
The first few times I didn't have any anchovies, pine nuts or olives and it was still wonderful.
Also, I always used plain raisins.
I love to use this as stuffing for wraps in whole wheat tortillas. Even better with some grilled fish in there. YUM!
This is great served with white beans too.
Makes a great veg entree served on polenta.
I loved this, but just one tip--with the anchovies, olives, and capers it does NOT need additional salt!!
I've made this dish without anchovies for vegetarians and it turned out fine. It did however require the addition of extra salt early on in the cooking process to compensate for the salty fishes' absence.
I love this dish and have made something similar (Sicilian-inspired) for many years.
I do hope she informs any potential vegetarian or fish-allergy sufferer guests about the anchovies, however. I love them, but not everyone can eat them.
I loved the sweetness of the raisins with the savory flavors of the pine nuts and the capers. I used large capers and they added to the presentation. The subtle flavor of the anchovies added a richness, but my husband felt that a stronger anchovy flavor would be an improvement.