This is a dish we often serve in the Field Kitchen. The gratin is based on one in the lovely book A Table in Provence, by Lesley Forbes (Webb & Bower, 1987). Jane doesn’t need much persuasion to add anchovies to anything, but the chard and anchovy work particularly well together.
Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
- a good pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leg of lamb, weighing about 2 kg, skinned, boned and butterflied (you could ask your butcher to do this)
For the Stock
- ½ lemon juice
- a splash of white wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- a sprig of thyme
For the Gratin
- 2 bunches of Swiss chard (about 500–600 g)
- a large knob of butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 anchovies
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- freshly ground black pepper
How to Make It
- Mix together the garlic, rosemary, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil to make a marinade. Place the lamb in a large dish, pour over the marinade and leave at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight, turning the meat occasionally.
- To make the stock, put all the ingredients in a pan with 500 ml of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.
- To make the gratin, separate the chard leaves from the stalks and blanch them in a large pan of boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain well, refresh under cold running water, then squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
- Cut the chard stalks across into 5 mm strips. Bring the stock to the boil, add the chard stalks and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Drain the stalks and set aside, saving the stock for later.
- Heat the butter in a pan, add the onion and cook gently for 15 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the anchovies, stirring until they dissolve into the mixture. Return to the heat and stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook very gently for 5 minutes. Slowly stir in the reserved chard stock until you have a thick sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Stir the chard stalks and leaves into the sauce, together with the grated Parmesan and some black pepper. Transfer the mixture to a gratin dish and bake in an oven preheated to 160°C/Gas Mark 3 for about 20 minutes, until golden.
- Remove the lamb from the marinade. Preheat a ridged griddle pan or a large, heavy-based frying pan and cook the lamb for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Transfer to a roasting tray and finish off in the oven at 200°C/Gas Mark 6 for a few minutes, depending on how pink you like your lamb. Leave to rest for about 10 minutes, then serve with the gratin.
