FENNELS AND CHARD AU GRATIN FINOCCHI E BIETOLE GRATINATE

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons flour • salt • pepper • nutmeg • 350 ml milk • 130 g grated Gouda cheese or Cheddar • 1 heaping tablespoon of mild mustard • 1 fennel bulb • 1 handful of young betoline

Method

Cut the fennel into wedges and pull the stems from the Swiss chard. Steam for about 10 minutes the fennel and Swiss chard stalks, then add the chard leaves and sauté for a few minutes. Add the flour, a pinch of salt, pepper and grated nutmeg to a small thick-bottomed pan. Pour in the milk and stir with a whisk to mix well then put on the heat. Cook until the mixture begins to boil and thickens, always stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the sauce has thickened, cook for 5 minutes over low heat and start adding the cheese stirring well to make sure it melts. Set aside a handful of cheese for later. When the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth, add the mustard and stir. Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Put a couple of tablespoons of sauce on the bottom of an oven dish, arrange the fennel wedges and Swiss chard over it. Pour the rest of the sauce and top with the reserved cheese. Put the dish under the grill for about 6-8 minutes or until the surface is bubbling and becomes golden brown.

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