Chard With Orange And Shallots

A perfect winter dish with vibrant color and tangy sweet-sour flavor. The skin of the orange or tangerine becomes almost candied and provides a nice chew, but if you’d rather not eat it, simply peel before chopping. To make this dinner, serve with some crusty bread, or toss with a little pasta (if you’ve never had pasta with citrus before, you’re in for a treat; some grated Parmesan wouldn’t be a terrible idea, either).

Other vegetables you can use: any chard, bok choy, kale, or cabbage. For the citrus, use kumquats (quartered) if available.

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound chard, trimmed

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 shallots, halved and sliced

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 small orange or tangerine, seeded and coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cut the stems out of the chard leaves. Cut the leaves into wide ribbons and slice the stems, on the diagonal if you like. Keep the leaves and stems separate.

2. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add the shallots and sugar and cook for a minute, then stir in the orange or tangerine and adjust the heat so the vegetables sizzle gently. Cook, stirring frequently, until everything is caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar.

3. Return the heat to medium and stir in the chard stems. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften a bit, a minute or 2. Add the chard leaves, cover, and turn off the heat. Let the chard steam for 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover, stir, and re-cover the pan for another couple of minutes. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper. Serve hot, or within an hour or two at room temperature.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised 20th Anniversary Edition (Photo: Aya Brackett)