SWISS CHARD GRATIN WITH VEGAN BECHAMEL

SWISS CHARD GRATIN WITH VEGAN BECHAMEL image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

Vegan Béchamel
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
240 ml (1 cup) plain oat milk, or other non-dairy milk, cold or at room temperature
salt, pepper, nutmeg
Swiss Chard Gratin
1 kilo (2.2 pounds) Swiss chard (blettes in French)
olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
240 ml (1 cup) non-dairy béchamel (store-bought or from recipe below)
1 egg (optional)
30 grams (1 ounce) freshly grated comté (substitute the gratable cheese of your choice or some nutritional yeast)
2 tablespoons oat bran (substitute bran from another grain, or dried breadcrumbs)
salt, pepper

Steps:

Bechamel: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, stir it in quickly with a wooden spoon, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, without coloring (that's a roux blanc). Remove from the heat, add a little of the milk, whisk it in to form a smooth mixture, then add the rest of the milk over medium heat, a little at a time, whisking well between each addition. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring continuously, until thickened to a velvety consistency. Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and use while still warm. Gratin: Separate the leaves from the stalks of the chard (I use kitchen shears to cut along the stalks). Trim and slice the stalks, then chop the leaves, keeping stalks and leaves separate. Heat a gurgle of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add the Swiss chard stalks and cook for 5 minutes, until softened, stirring from time to time. Add the leaves and cook for 2 minutes, until just wilted. Drain the vegetables (this is important, otherwise the excess water will pool at the bottom of the gratin dish; keep the cooking juices to use as a light broth). Season with salt and pepper (ready-made béchamel may be strongly seasoned, so season the chard accordingly). Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F) and grease a medium baking dish with a little oil. In a bowl, whisk together the béchamel and the egg, if using. Fold in the cooked chard, pour into the prepared baking dish, and level the surface. Sprinkle with cheese and oat bran, and bake for 15 minutes, until set and golden. Switch to broiler setting for a couple more minutes if you'd like the top to brown a little further, but watch it closely. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.