chard with soy, ginger, lime juice and sesame
rating:I invented this dish last night because my organic veg box included a bundle or rather leathery-looking Swiss chard, and I knew damned well that if I didn't cook it pronto, it would just sit in the fridge until it deliquesced.
The dish was very good (though I sez it meself as shouldn't). We ate it with spice-coated rack of lamb, the recipe for which I will now add to the database.
500g Swiss chard (very approx quantity only)
3cm chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
1 bird's eye chilli, peeled and very finely chopped
1 clove garlic (more if you prefer) peeled and very finely chopped
2 tablespoons sunflower, grapeseed or groundnut oil (any tasteless oil)
For the sauce:
half teaspoon cornflour
juice 1 lime
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Japanese preferred)
half teaspoon smoked sesame oil
Wash chard. Cut white central ribs away from the green leaves. If the chard is very leathery and tough, the white ribs may be too stringy for human consumption. If, however, your chard is of more modest age and dimensions, the central ribs will be delicious. Cut them and the green leaves into 1cm strips.
Make the sauce by adding the lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil to the cornflour and stirring carefully to eliminate all lumps.
Heat a wok or fying pan over high heat and add the cooking oil. When it is beginning to shimmer, flop in the finely-sliced ginger, garlic and chilli. Stir fry for a minute. Then add the chard, turning heat down to medium. Stir fry until the leaves start to darken and wilt. Don't cook too long or they'll go mushy. Now, add the sauce, and stir gently until it thickens and goes glossy. Serve at once.
where are you getting your veg box from, please? We gave up with Riverford a while back because we were drowning in carrots!