Recipes: Daniel Boulud's Gratin and Stuffed Pumpkin

Nov. 25, 2008 — -- Here are chef Daniel Boulud's recipes for Swiss Chard Gratin and Stuffed Cheese Pumpkin. CLICK HERE for all the "Nightline Platelist" recipes and chef profiles.

Swiss Chard Gratin

Recipe courtesy of Daniel Boulud

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

6 pounds of Swiss chard

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

¼ cup minced onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2½ cups warm milk

3 teaspoons Daniel Boulud's Thanksgiving Spice Blend*

½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

* Available at Chef Central, Food Emporium (NY Metro), Home Goods, Zabars, www.pfaltzgraff.com and Gracious Homes

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Separate the Swiss chard leaves from the stems, and reserve half of the stems; rinse well. Boil the Swiss chard leaves until tender;remove with a slotted spoon and chill in the ice water. Strain well by wrapping in cheesecloth or a clean dish towel and wringing out the liquid; then chop roughly. Cut the reserved Swiss chard stems into thin slices.

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, garlic, onion, sliced Swiss chard stems and one teaspoon of Thanksgiving Spice Blend and cook, stirring until tender. Stir in the cooked Swiss chard leaves to combine.

In a separate small pot over medium-low heat, add the butter, flour and 1 teaspoon of Thanksgiving Spice Blend. Cook, stirring with a whisk for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to brown the butter. Gradually whisk in the warm milk. Continue to cook, whisking, for 3 minutes to make a bechamel sauce. Transfer the bechamel into the pot with the Swiss chard, and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to a small gratin dish or ovenproof baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with the grated Parmesan and Gruyere cheeses, and the remaining teaspoon of Thanksgiving spice blend and bake 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Stuffed Cheese Pumpkin

Recipe courtesy of Daniel Boulud, adapted from a recipe prepared by his mother, Marie

Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

1 cheese pumpkin, approximately 10-12 pounds

1 kabocha squash (or butternut squash)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 loaf sourdough bread

1 clove garlic, peeled

3/4 pound apple wood smoked bacon, cut into approx ¼ inch thick batons

½ cup toasted and chopped pecans

½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1 bunch chives, sliced

1 lpound Gruyere cheese, grated

5 cups Half and Half

3 tablespoons Daniel Boulud's Thanksgiving Spice blend*

Salt and pepper to taste

* Available at Chef Central, Food Emporium (NY Metro), Home Goods, Zabars, www.pfaltzgraff.com and Gracious Homes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the kabocha squash in half, remove the seeds, rub the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lie the squash flesh side down on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until cooked through (check with the tip of a paring knife).

Meanwhile, turn the cheese pumpkin upside down, and with a small serrated paring knife, remove a circular cap wide enough to later fill the pumpkin with stuffing (approximately 10 inches in diameter). Cut the sourdough bread into 1-inch thick slices and toast. Lightly rub the toasted bread with the clove of garlic.

In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper-towel lined plate and set aside. When the cooked kabocha squash is cool enough to handle, remove the flesh with a spoon and cut into a rough dice. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Half and Half with 2 tablespoons of Thanksgiving Spice Blend, and salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle the inside of the cheese pumpkin with salt, pepper and the remaining Thanksgiving Spice Blend. Begin filling the pumpkin, starting with a layer of bread, then half of the bacon, half of the pecans, half of the pumpkin seeds, half of the chives and half of the cheese. Pour in about half of the Half and Half mixture and lightly press down. Repeat with remaining filling ingredients to reach the top of the pumpkin. Pour in the remainder of the Half and Half to reach the top of the pumpkin. Return the cap to the pumpkin and transfer onto an aluminum foil lined baking tray. Bake for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the cheese pumpkin is cooked though.

Serve warm, scooping a bit of the cheese pumpkin from the sides along with the filling.