Recipe: Chard Gratin

Recipe: Chard Gratin
What, when & where: a side that's good enough for a company on a week night or Thanksgiving (also impressive & easily transported to at a potluck)
Assessment: Excellent. I did prep at my place and then took this cute little casserole over to bake at Claire's house. Overall, it was lovely and the nutmeg is ingenious, tasting homey & elegant at the same time. If I make it again, I'll try cooking the greens less.
Source: The Wednesday Chef (http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2008/07/alice-waterss-s.html) cribbed this from the venerable Alice Waters

1 1/2 bunches of chard
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons melted butter
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
Salt
2 teaspoons flour
1/2 cup milk
pinch of nutmeg

Wash and chop the chard, separating the stems and leaves. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil and cooked the sliced stems for 2 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and cool. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid.

Toss together the breadcrumbs and the melted butter. Toast on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven, stirring now and then, until lightly brown, about 10 minutes.

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the diced onion. Cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard and season with salt. Cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir well. Then add the milk and nutmeg and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more milk if the mixture gets too thick. The chard should be moist but not floating in liquid. Taste and add salt if needed.

Butter a small baking dish. Spread the chard mixture evenly in the dish and dot with the remaining butter, cut into bits. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top. Bake in a 350-degree oven until the gratin is golden and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes. Serves 4.