Kale, Chard & Mushroom Gratin

Kale, Chard, & Mushroom Gratin

Recipe by Jenn Robbins of Good Foods Kitchen

April 14, 2018

Ingredients

½ lb shitake &/or oyster mushrooms - destemmed & chopped/torn - save scraps!    
2 each leeks - whites sliced, middle part (light green) rough chopped - keep separate!
2 each green garlic - bottom 3rd minced, rest chopped - keep separate!
1 oz butter
¼ cup dry sherry
3 cup heavy cream
2 each bay leaves
Pinch black peppercorns
2 bunch kale, destemmed & chopped
2 bunch Swiss chard, destemmed & chopped
1 oz butter
As Needed cooking oil - your favorite high heat oil (canola, veg, grapeseed, etc)
As Needed salt
As Needed black pepper
½ cup sour cream
Splash sherry vinegar

Method:

To prep the cream base:

1. Over medium-high heat in a sauce pan, sauté the leek middles (light green), chopped green garlic, and mushroom scraps.
2. Once the bottom of the pan starts to collect some fond (color), deglaze with the sherry.  Reduce it until almost dry.
3. Add the cream to the sauce pan, and reduce heat to low-medium heat so it just simmers.  Cook the mushroom cream for ~30 minutes.  Ideally, it will only reduce by about ⅓.  When done, puree on high speed in a blender until smooth.  Set aside.  (This can be done in advance).

To prep the veggies:

1. Chop the kale & chard stems!
2. Pre-heat a Dutch oven or wide, shallow pot (rondeau) over high heat.  Add 2T oil, and a pat of butter once hot.  Sauté the mushrooms, working in batches if needed to avoid overloading the pan.  Stir frequently, and once slightly wilted, season with salt & pepper, and chile powder if desired.
3. When all of the mushrooms are done, reduce the heat to medium-high.  Add the chopped leeks & green garlic.  If the mushrooms absorbed most of the fat, add more butter so the leeks & garlic can be wilted. 
4. After ~2 minutes of cooking, add the chopped kale stems.  Sauté another minute then add the chard stems & chopped greens.
5. Once the greens have been added, stir frequently until wilted.  Season with salt & pepper.
6. Add the mushroom cream and cook the greens until tender.
7. Off heat, fold in the sour cream & sherry vinegar - adjust seasoning if needed.  Pour the gratin mixture into a glass or ceramic baking dish.

**the recipe can be cooked entirely up to this point in advance.  If you choose to, simply cool for finishing at a later time**

To finish:

1. If serving immediately after cooking, pre-heat the oven to broil.  Broil the gratin until golden & bubbling.
2. If gratin has been cooled, pre-heat oven to 350 & cover with foil.  Bake until heated through, stirring occasionally (~30 minutes).  Then turn oven to broil & uncover - broil until golden & bubbling.

Makes ~10c