This is a cheese sandwich, grilled to perfection.
“Chard is a very lovely thing to grill, the earthy flavours responding brilliantly to heat and smoke. You need to treat the stems and leaves almost as two separate vegetables, as the stems take considerably longer to cook,” explains grill extraordinaire, Genenvieve Taylor.
“I tend to put them on to a cold griddle, then turn on the heat so they start with a few minutes of gentle cooking as the temperature rises. Of course, if you are cooking over charcoal this isn’t practical, so start them off on a colder part of your barbecue before moving them over the direct heat once they have started to soften.”
Ingredients:
(Serves 1)
A drizzle of olive oil
4 stalks of rainbow chard, stems and leaves separated
A slick of butter
2 generous slices of sourdough bread
1 bird’s-eye chilli, finely chopped, or more to taste
75g extra mature Cheddar
1 tbsp mango chutney
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Drizzle a little oil over the stems and leaves of the chard, rubbing it in so they are evenly coated. Rest the stems on your griddle and turn on the heat so they begin to soften as it comes up to temperature, or set them on the grill, slightly away from the fire. Turn them over regularly as they cook so they caramelise all over. Once the stems are almost cooked, about 10 minutes, add the leaves to the hot grill and allow them to wilt and start to char in places.
2. Spread just a little butter on both slices of bread. Turn one slice over and layer on the grilled chard leaves. Roughly chop the stems and toss together on the chopping board with the chilli. Scatter them over the leaves and top with the Cheddar. Turn over the other slice of bread and spread the mango chutney on the unbuttered side, then invert over the sandwich and press down firmly so the buttered side is on top. Transfer to the grill carefully, using a fish slice and tongs to keep everything together, and cook for a couple of minutes each side.
3. It’s ready when the bread is nicely toasted and the cheese is melting. Slice in half and allow to cool for a minute or so before eating – the molten cheese will be burn-your-tongue hot.
Charred by Genevieve Taylor, photography by Jason Ingram, is published by Quadrille, priced £16.99. Available now.
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