Remember that time when, still high on Thanksgiving gluttony and clearly out of my mind, I waxed on and on about the merits of sautéed green beans compared to a cheese and heavy cream-filled vegetable gratin? Well, I urge you to write that off as utter nonsense and turn your attention instead to that very gratin, dressed in its holiday finest.
I can’t think of a better sidekick to whatever holiday roast you’re serving up this December than flavorful greens, baked with a sauce of cream, thyme and garlic and topped with not one, but two cheeses and a crispy layer of toasted fresh breadcrumbs. As I’ve made clear many times before, I don’t love kale, but I am a lover of anything that’s baked in a casserole dish filled with these ingredients.
What makes this dish stand out to me is that it’s creamed vegetables, but it’s not soggy mush like your typical spinach that’s prepared that way. Kale, mustard greens, collard greens- they’re all sturdy leaves and shouldn’t be cooked to death before they get baked into this dish. The result is a side filled with texture- two different slightly chewy greens, melty cheese, crispy breadcrumbs, creamy interior. And full of flavor, too- it’s sweet, earthy, and bitter all at the same time.
This time of year when we’re all stretched for time, emotions are running high and our metabolism is out of wack from eating way too many cookies (that one might just be me), I’m pretty sold on delicious food that doesn’t take much in the prep department. Yes, this gratin requires the toasting of breadcrumbs, but you can do that beforehand and it’s definitely not something I would throw in the “labor intensive” category. The best part is that I get to use my favorite cooking “cheat” which is buying bags of pre-cleaned kale and collards and just taking out the tough stems, of which there are few. It is such a time-saver and I get to skip my least favorite cooking chore, which is cleaning sandy greens. Everyone has their limits, right?
Even if you don’t have a roast planned for this gratin to accompany, I’ve found that for me it works as a great vegetable course in between what has become a predominantly cookie-based diet. However you are approaching things this holiday season, I recommend you find a way to incorporate this recipe.
Note: I'm including the leafy green quantities as they are laid out in the original recipe, but I'll note that I made my gratin with kale and collard greens (bad mustard green crop in New Jersey this season, apparently!), both bagged, and if you take that approach I would recommend using 2.5-2.75 lbs of trimmed and chopped greens.
Do ahead: The gratin can be assembled one day ahead.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for dish
- 2 lbs kale, center ribs and stems removed, torn into large pieces, or two 10-oz. bags trimmed, chopped kale (about 24 cups)
- Kosher salt
- 2 1/2 pounds mustard greens, center ribs and stems removed, torn into large pieces
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided, plus 7 sprigs thyme
- 2 shallots, sliced into 1/4 inches-thick rounds (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup heavy green
- 1 cup whole milk
- 7 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup coarsely grated Gruyere
Instructions
- Lightly butter a 3-qt. baking dish. Working in batches, blanch kale in a pot of boiling lightly salted water until just softened, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer kale to a large bowl of ice water; let cool, then drain. Squeeze out as much excess water as possible by hand and transfer kale to a work surface.
- Repeat with mustard greens, blanching for 2 minutes per batch. Coarsely chop all greens and combine in a large bowl (you should have 6 cups tightly packed greens). Separate clumps and loosen chopped leaves by hand.
- Heat oil in a 12 inches skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crispy, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in Parmesan and 1 teaspoon thyme leaves. Do Ahead: Greens and breadcrumbs can be made 2 days ahead. Cover greens and chill. Store breadcrumbs airtight at room temperature.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots; cook, stirring often, until slightly softened and light golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer shallots to bowl with greens. Add cream, milk, garlic, and thyme sprigs to same saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook until mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 10-12 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and garlic; stir in nutmeg. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
- Pour cream mixture over greens in bowl and toss to evenly coat in sauce; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer greens mixture to prepared baking dish; sprinkle Gruyère over. Top with breadcrumbs. Cover dish with foil.
- Preheat oven to 400°. Bake until filling is hot, about 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is melted, edges are bubbling, and breadcrumbs are golden brown, 10-20 minutes longer. Garnish with remaining 1 teaspoon thyme leaves.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2014/12/22/winter-greens-gratin/
