Peruvian Swiss Chard Pie Recipe

Wildly Delicious Episode 8: Peruvian Swiss Chard Pie Recipe

In the season finale of Wildly Delicious, our special guest and Head of Product Diego Blondet shared a traditional dish from his country: a Peruvian Swiss Chard Pie, though this version is made with half Swiss Chard and half Kale And, thanks to his Rise Garden, he's able to grow all of the fresh ingredients he needs to make the dish at home. He loves to keep phyllo dough in the freezer, which makes this dish even easier to make without heading to the store for any ingredients. 

Peruvian Swiss Chard Pie Recipe

Makes: 1 Pie

1. Prep Time 15 mins
2. Cook Time 1 hr
3. Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
4. Serves 4-6p

Ingredients

• Phyllo dough
• 2 cups hot milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, plus more for prepping the pan
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for prepping the pan
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bunches Swiss Chard, de-ribbed and chopped (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 bunches of Kale, de-ribbed and chopped (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup Pisco (or other sweet clear drink-Vermouth, Vegetable Broth, White Wine)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 eggs for the pie
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

• Step One: Heat the milk in a pot on low to medium heat, ensuring it doesn't get too hot and create a film.
• Step Two: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the 1/4 cup flour sprinkling and whisking a little at a time. Once the flour is combined and the roux is bubbling, remove the pan from the skillet and add all of the hot milk at one time, whisking vigorously to combine. Place the saucepan back onto the burner and continue whisking until the sauce has thickened. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat, set aside to cool. 
• Step Three: In a large pot, heat 1 cup of water for 1-2 mins on medium heat, add the Swiss chard and kale, and cover. Cook until throughly cooked and bright green, approximately 5-7 mins. Drain the greens into a mesh strainer or sieve and press out all of the liquid from the greens using a spoon. We used a cheesecloth on Wildly Delicious and it worked perfectly! This step is crucial to ensure you do not end up with soggy crust. When you can no longer squeeze any liquid from the greens, set aside in a bowl momentarily. 
• Step Four: In a large pan, heat approximately one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook it until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the 1/4 cup Pisco and cook until it reduces slightly. Add the greens to the pan. Break up the greens and combine them evenly with the onions and garlic mixture. Add the bechamel and Parmesan to the mixture and combine. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to avoid a skin from forming.
• Step Five: Pre-heat the over to 400 degrees F. Coat the 9-inch cake pan in butter.
• Step Six: Using the phyllo dough, layer 5 square sheets of phyllo dough on the bottom going slightly up the side. Flattening and removing any air bubbles. Add in the greens and cheese mixture using a rubber spatula to make sure it's evenly distributed. 
• Step Seven: Make 4-6 egg-sized holes in the creamy mixture, depending on how many people you are serving. Add one whole egg in each of the portions of the pie. The egg should be raw (it will cook in the oven). The colder the egg is before adding the better. 
• Step Eight: Add 5 square sheets of phyllo dough to the top, flattening and removing any air bubbles. Fold down the sides of the dough to make a little crust around the exterior of the pie. Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg wash and bake for 25-30 mins on the middle rack or until the top is golden brown. 
• Step Nine: Remove from the oven and let cool.