Sautéed Swiss Chard with Pancetta and Caramelized Shallots
By Sandra WuPublished on March 9, 2015
Time
45 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 shallots, sliced thin2 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch pieces1 ½ pounds Swiss chard, stems sliced ¼ inch thick on bias (3 cups), leaves sliced into ½-inch-wide strips (10 cups)¼ teaspoon kosher salt ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Before You Begin
This recipe will work with any color of Swiss chard.
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned and softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to bowl and wipe out skillet.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and pancetta in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rendered and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet and return to medium-high heat.
- Add chard stems, salt, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown and crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add two-thirds of chard leaves and cook, tossing with tongs, until just starting to wilt, 30 to 60 seconds. Add remaining chard leaves and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until leaves are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and stir in vinegar, shallots, and pancetta. Serve immediately.
Time
45 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 shallots, sliced thin
2 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 ½ pounds Swiss chard, stems sliced ¼ inch thick on bias (3 cups), leaves sliced into ½-inch-wide strips (10 cups)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 shallots, sliced thin
2 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 ½ pounds Swiss chard, stems sliced ¼ inch thick on bias (3 cups), leaves sliced into ½-inch-wide strips (10 cups)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 shallots, sliced thin
2 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 ½ pounds Swiss chard, stems sliced ¼ inch thick on bias (3 cups), leaves sliced into ½-inch-wide strips (10 cups)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
The key to mastering sautéed Swiss chard is to get the stems to finish cooking at the same time as the leaves. Unlike spinach, which has stems that cook down as quickly as the leaves do, and kale, with ribs that are so tough that they are only good for the compost bin, Swiss chard stems fall somewhere in the middle. In our recipe, we slice the stems thin on the bias so that they cook quickly and evenly. Sautéing the stems first over relatively high heat provides a desirable tender-crisp texture and lightly caramelized flavor that acts as a foil to the tender leaves, which are added later in two stages.
Before You Begin
This recipe will work with any color of Swiss chard.
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned and softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to bowl and wipe out skillet.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and pancetta in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rendered and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet and return to medium-high heat.
- Add chard stems, salt, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown and crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add two-thirds of chard leaves and cook, tossing with tongs, until just starting to wilt, 30 to 60 seconds. Add remaining chard leaves and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until leaves are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and stir in vinegar, shallots, and pancetta. Serve immediately.
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