Braised Chard With Dried Cranberries Recipes

SWEET AND SOUR BRAISED BRISKET WITH CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, rosemary, black pepper, 1 tablespoon salt, chile flakes and Aleppo pepper. Place the brisket, fat side up, in a large Dutch oven. Rub meat all over with the spice mixture. If you have time, let meat rest at room temperature for 1 hour. (You can skip this step if necessary.) Transfer pot to oven and roast, uncovered, 20 minutes.
• While meat cooks, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the cranberries and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar. Simmer, uncovered, until cranberries begin to break down, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, cider and pomegranate molasses if using. Season with salt.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour cranberry mixture over the brisket. Cover and cook until meat is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours; turn meat every hour. Slice meat and serve with plenty of sauce and parsley for garnish.

BRAISED BEEF WITH CRANBERRIES & SPICES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the steaks 4 at a time and brown them well on both sides, then transfer to a plate. Now add the onions, garlic and ginger to the oil, plus juices left in the dish, and fry for at least 15 mins, stirring very frequently, until they are golden and soft. Add the saffron, cinnamon sticks, coriander, harissa and ground almonds, and stir well for 1 min.
• Tip in the stock, then return the meat to the dish. Add the bay leaves, cover and simmer for 1 hr. Remove the lid and cook for another 1 hr 30 mins, checking occasionally to ensure the mixture doesn't catch on the bottom. Add the cranberries 10 mins before the end of the cooking time so they can plump up in the gravy. Check the beef after the cooking time - it should pull apart easily with 2 forks. If not, add a splash more water or stock and cook for another 30 mins. Remove cinnamon and bay leaves.
• To freeze: Cool completely, then pack into freezer bags. Use within 3 months. Thaw in the bags at room temperature for 5-8 hrs depending on the bag size, although batches of 2 can be unwrapped and reheated in a pan with a little water in the base. This will also keep in the fridge for a couple of days if you don't want to freeze it. Serve with mash, rice or couscous (or gluten-free alternative).

BRAISED CHARD

Steps:

• Rinse the Swiss chard. Leave any water clinging to it. Chop it fine.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, saute for a minute or so, then add the Swiss chard. Cook, stirring, until the Swiss chard begins to wilt. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.
• Uncover and cook, stirring, a few minutes longer. Stir in the scallions, season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

BRAISED SWISS CHARD WITH CURRANTS AND FETA

Steps:

• Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough parts near base, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Coarsely chop leaves.
• Cook garlic in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add currants and cook, stirring, until plump, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and water and increase heat to moderate, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in feta.

BRAISED CHARD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Warm the chicken broth in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the dried cranberries; set aside to plump.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the red onion and chard stems and cook, stirring, until the stems are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Add the chicken broth and dried cranberries. Add the chard leaves, pressing them down to fit, if needed. Cover and simmer until the leaves just start to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the leaves are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt.
• Transfer the chard mixture to a serving bowl with tongs, leaving the liquid in the pot. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil into the liquid and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour over the chard.

PAN-ROASTED PORK CHOPS WITH CRANBERRIES AND RED SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Prepare Swiss chard:
• Cook shallots and garlic in butter in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add chard stems and center ribs and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add leaves and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer chard to a heavy saucepan and wipe out skillet.
• Cook pork chops:
• Pat chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chops, about 3 minutes per side.
• Transfer skillet to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally 2 inches into meat registers 155°F, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer chops with tongs to a platter, leaving fat in skillet, and cover chops loosely with foil to keep warm.
• Make sauce:
• Sauté shallots in fat remaining in skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add wine and deglaze by boiling over high heat, scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half. Add cranberries and stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries begin to burst, about 2 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and thyme and simmer, stirring, until berries are collapsed, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until incorporated, then season with salt and pepper.
• Assemble dish:
• While sauce is cooking, reheat chard over moderate heat, stirring. Divide among 4 plates and top with chops, then spoon sauce over.

RACK OF LAMB WITH CRANBERRY-TANGERINE SAUCE, BRAISED RED CHARD, CREAMY POLENTA WITH SAGE AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Preheat grill pan to high and oven to 400 degrees F.
• Drizzle racks with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill lamb over high heat for 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet or broiler pan and place in hot oven. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, to 130 degrees F on meat thermometer for rare, 155 for well. Let meat rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving for juices to redistribute.
• For the chard, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the greens in bunches until they wilt down enough to fit in the pan. Add the vegetable stock and raisins. Season greens with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium low and cook 10 to 15 minutes until greens are tender and no longer bitter.
• Place cranberry juice concentrate and the tangerine zest and juice in a small saucepan and simmer together over low heat for 10 minutes. Strain and return to pan. Meanwhile, combine the cranberries and chicken stock in a bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute. Let stand 10 minutes to reconstitute the cranberries.
• For the polenta, heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta a minute or 2 and remove from pan to a paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and bring 3 cups chicken stock to a boil. Add the polenta and stir constantly until mixture masses, 2 or 3 minutes. Remove polenta from heat and stir in sage, butter, pancetta bits, and season with salt and pepper. Reserve the chives for garnish.
• Heat cranberries and stock to a bubble and remove from stove.
• To serve, allow 1/2 rack of lamb per person. Separate chops into 1 or 2 rib sections and glaze with cranberry-tangerine sauce. Serve with sage and pancetta polenta garnished with chives and braised red chard.