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by Jess Thomson
Serves 10 | Start to finish: 1 hour
from Edible Seattle November/December 2009
This gratin tastes great at room temperature, which means one less thing you’ll have to squeeze into the oven at the last minute.
1 pound sweet (or hot) bulk Italian sausage
1 pound green chard
1 pound dinosaur kale
1 pound collard greens
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for buttering dish
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up as you go, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Break the sausage into small bite-sized pieces and set aside. Reserve any sausage drippings in the pot.
Meanwhile, cut the tough center ribs out of all the greens, slice them into 1/4” thick ribbons, and wash and dry them in a salad spinner. Add the olive oil to the sausage drippings, then starting adding the greens, adding about a third of them at first, then adding the rest in batches as what’s in the pan cooks down. When all the greens have been added, stir for about 5 minutes, until all the greens have begun to soften. Add the broth, cover the pot, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Take the lid off and cook another 10 minutes or so, until almost no liquid remains at the bottom of the pot. (You want the greens to be fairly dry. If you still have extra liquid after 15 minutes, just scoop it out.) Season the greens to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove the pot from the heat, add the sausage, and stir in the flour until no white remains. Butter a deep 8” square casserole dish or a large oval gratin dish, and transfer the greens to the dish in a roughly even layer. Dot the greens with the butter, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, and drizzle the cream over the whole thing. Bake for 30 minutes, until the cream is bubbling and the cheese is browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.
MAKE AHEAD: The gratin can be baked, cooled, covered with foil, and refrigerated overnight. To reheat, bake (covered) for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
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