Ingredients
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 8 fresh mushrooms, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup ground or minced ham, veal or chicken
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 egg slightly beaten
Instructions
Cut off the lower stems of the Swiss chard leaves; discard any discolored leaves. You will need 8 large leaves. Fill a large frying pan with water and bring to a boil. Add the leaves, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, just until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Drain and place under cold running water; drain again and place on paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Cut away any hard stem portions. Set the leaves aside.
In the same frying pan, make the tomato sauce.
Once the sauce is sieved, return it to the pan and add the wine or stock. Simmer, uncovered, to blend the flavors, 5-6 minutes. Set aside. In another frying pan warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the parsley and saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the meat and cook for 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool briefly. Mix in the egg. Spoon an equal amount of the meat mixture into the center of each leaf. Fold the sides in toward the center, then fold in the ends, overlapping them to enclose the filling completely and forming a small, neat package. Arrange the filled leaves, seam side down, in the pan containing that sauce. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the filling is cooked, about 20 minutes. To serve, place 2 chard packages on each plate. Spoon on tomato sauce and garnish with the remaining parsley. Serve at once. Pass the remaining sauce in a bowl on the side.
Serves 4
