Swiss chard barely exists as an ingredient in British or American kitchens. You might occasionally find it at a farmers' market, while in France, it's iconic. Even before leafy greens such as kale became trendy on tables, the French were growing and cooking Swiss chard, as they have always done.
To be clear, this is the dark green leafy variety with thick white central ribs; rainbow chard is entirely different. And Switzerland has nothing to do with anything; the plant is Mediterranean. At some point, seed merchants added 'Swiss' to distinguish it from French spinach varieties.
Fresh organic chard on a rustic backgroundDani Vincek
You'll find Swiss chard almost year-round, though it is at its best from summer into early autumn.
In the regions where it is an intrinsic part of French culinary heritage, namely most places south of the Loire, you will see Swiss chard in abundance on market stalls. The further north you go, the scarcer it becomes. In Paris, you might need to hunt for it; in Nice, it's impossible to avoid. Swiss chard is a southern ingredient, it grows easily in the Mediterranean heat and has been cooked in Provençal kitchens for centuries.
Blettes do not appear often on restaurant menus; they are more of a fait maison (homemade) ingredient. Perhaps the most well-known Swiss chard preparation is tourte aux blettes, which is a speciality of Nice. This is actually a sweet tart, or more precisely, sweet-savoury as the ingredients include sugar, raisins and sometimes apples in addition to Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. The savoury version is called tourte aux blettes salée to distinguish it from the sweet version. In the Aveyron, you will find a local delicacy called les farçous, a savoury fritter of Swiss chard greens mixed with sausagemeat. In French homes, you will most often find Swiss chard served as a gratin.
What sets les blettes apart from the other leafy greens and chards is that big white central rib. To cook, you must separate the stems from the leaves and prepare them differently. This is not a disadvantage; it’s two vegetables from one plant.
It is generally sold as a whole head, with the root intact, like lettuce, but you can find it trimmed as individual stems. Whole heads tend to keep better because, once cut, you need to get cooking. Look for thick, crisp stems and deep green leaves, with no signs of yellowing, which is an indicator of age. Size does not matter much here; large chard is as delicious as small chard, though larger is almost better because it offers more of the white part, which is what sets this vegetable apart.
The white stems are gently sweet, with a satisfying crunch that softens when cooked. They have something of celery's freshness, but more delicate, perfect for quietly absorbing the richness of creamy sauces. The greens are milder and almost sweet, with less of a metallic, mineral edge than spinach. They shrink when cooked, so buy more than you think you need if it’s mainly the greens you are after.
You can find fresh Swiss chard in some supermarket produce sections and it also exists frozen, with the green and white parts pre-separated and cooked. The latter makes a good freezer staple, for adding to pasta, gratins and soups, much like frozen spinach.
How to prepare blettes
Because the white stem is so prominent, it is easy to simply trim the leafy green away from the stalk to obtain the two parts. The greens are robust, more robust than spinach and rainbow chard, so they are best cooked.
First, blanch in a pot of salted, boiling water and simmer for about 10 minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and squeeze out the excess moisture. They are then ready for chopping and adding to soups, savoury tarts, stews or gratins, or sauté in lots of butter, season, stir in some cream and serve alongside a roast.
The white stems are called côtes de blettes in French. If your stems are wide, cut in half lengthwise first. The white part can be stringy, like ribs of celery. You can remove them or simply cut them into bite-size pieces which breaks the strings down. Then, blanch in salted, boiling water until just tender. At this point, you can freeze les côtes for use later or, mix with a bechamel (or tomato sauce), top generously with grated cheese and bake until browned and bubbling for a delicious gratin.
Recipe: Swiss chard & white bean parmentier
Serves six
Ingredients
850g Swiss chard
1.2kg potatoes
600ml milk
60g butter
40g flour
50g grated Gruyère
500g cooked drained white beans
Swiss chard is great in gratinsLaura Washburn Hutton
Method
Prepare the white and green parts of the Swiss chard, chopping the blanched greens and the blanched stems into bite-size pieces. Mash the potatoes, season and mix with milk and butter until soft.
Make a well-seasoned bechamel with the butter, flour and milk and stir in the grated Gruyère.
In a large bowl, mix the prepared Swiss chard greens and whites, the drained white beans and the bechamel. Adjust seasoning.
Generously butter a gratin dish, transfer the bean mixture to the dish spreading evenly, adding more cheese if desired. Top with dollops of the mash and spread to cover. Bake at 180°C until golden, about 45 minutes.
