Stuffed Chard in Red Wines with Cremini Mushrooms (Tuscan)

Title:
Stuffed Chard in Red Wines with Cremini Mushrooms (Tuscan)

Yield:
4 Servings

Categories:
Tuscan,
Chard,
Mushrooms




Ingredients:





    16 lg Red chard leaves; *see note





--------------------------------THE
STUFFING--------------------------------


     3 tb Extra-virgin olive oil


     1 md Onion; minced


     1 sm Carrot; scraped and minced


     1    Celery stalk; strings pulled


          -and finely chopped


     2    Saffron strands; soaked in 1


          -cup hot water, for an hour


     4 c  Cooked short grain rice


   1/2 c  Toasted pine nuts; chopped


     5 tb Chopped fresh parsley


     2    Eggs; lightly beaten


          Salt and pepper



-----------------------------THE
MUSHROOM SAUCE-----------------------------


     2 tb Unsalted butter


 1 1/2 lb Cremini mushrooms; cleaned


          -and minced


     1 c  Dry red wine


   1/2 c  Vegetable stock





 1. Parboil the chard leaves until flexible. Refresh in cold water to stop


 the cooking. Using a sharp paring knife, remove the stems and reserve for


 another use.


 


 2. For the stuffing: Heat the oil in a skillet. Saute the onion, carrot,


 and celery over low heat until the vegetables are soft and the flavors have


 melded. Transfer to a bowl. Strain the saffron over a glass (reserving the


 liquid) and add the threads to the bowl along with the rice, pine nuts,


 parsley and eggs. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.


 


 3. For the mushroom sauce: Heat the butter in a skillet and, when melted,


 saute the mushrooms over low heat until they are soft and paste-like. Add


 


 the wine, reserved saffron liquid and vegetable stock and simmer over


 medium heat for 10 minutes.


 


 4. Place 4 tablespoons stuffing in the center of each chard leaf. Fold into


 square packets and place, seam side down, in an ovenproof casserole large


 enough to hold all of them in one layer. Pack them closely so they cannot


 unroll. Pour in the mushroom wine sauce until it barely covers the packets.


 Cover and cook in a PREHEATED 350-degree oven for 1 hour. Serve the packets


 from the casserole using the braising liquid as a sauce.


 


 SERVES 4; TIME: 2 hours; Moderate DIFFICULTY mc-PER SERVING 39% cff:


 677cals; 28g fat


 


 VARIATIONs: Cabbage leaves can be used in place of chard. Packets can also


 be cooked over a medium-hot grill or beneath a broiler for 2-3 minutes on


 each side until browned but not charred.


 


 MAKE AHEAD: The stuffing blend can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance and


 refrigerated. The chard leaves can be parboiled up to 1 day in advance and


 refrigerated.


 


 >"Bietola Ripiena," or "Stuffed Chard Packets Braised in Red Wines with


 Cremini Mushrooms," From SOLO VERDURA, by Anne Bianchi (Ecco, 1997).


 >Edited by Pat Hanneman 3/98


 


 Notes: Every culture has its tradition of wrapped leaves simmered in a


 savory sauce. In Tuscany, the leaf of choice is often chard which is large


 (about 9-inch in diameter) and sturdy enough to contain any combination of


 stuffing ingredients. The following recipe is a variation on one made for


 me by a friend in Lucca. In Place of Mirella's meat filling, I have


 substituted saffron and pine nuts which blend beautifully with the wine and


 mushroom soffrito in which it cooks.


 


 Recipe by: SOLO VERDURA, by Anne Bianchi


 


 Posted to MC-Recipe Digest by KitPATh 
on Mar 26,


 1998