after that potato salad, which i consumed along with a few slices of bread, i was left with more than half of my original loaf. i could have frozen it to make breadcrumbs later--as i usually do--but i opened the freezer to find quite a few half-loaves already occupying much space. i still had a couple of pretty red onions left, though, more than a pound of gorgeous, leafy greens (spinach and kale, also from the csa), and, as always, lots of stock (it's good to have this on hand at all times!), so i already had nearly all the ingredients for that platonic ideal of leftover peasant food: panade.
panade is a little bit like a lot of things--hot and bubbly and with a crisped-up top like a casserole, thick and saucy like a stew, something of a vegetable dish, and with the silky bread, reminiscent of a savory souffle--and, like all those things, is absolutely delicious. most recipes call for chard, but any leafy green will do--and kale, indeed, is particularly well-suited to this dish, tasting wonderfully like collard greens by the end of its long stint in the oven. the key here is to build it layer by layer--this doesn't take long, but is key to getting an even amount of each ingredient in each bite--and to bake it in the oven, covered, for long enough so that the stock and vegetable juices simmer down into a thick sauce, and uncovered for the last 15 minutes to get that wonderful contrast in texture. so good, so hearty, and a healthy and cheap way to repurpose leftover bread--you can't go wrong! i topped mine with a fried egg for that yummy, runny yolk and crisp egg white (and some extra protein). serves 4.
ingredients
1 lb leafy greens, ends of stems removed
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, coarsely minced
2 cups gruyere, grated
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock, for a vegetarian version)
half a loaf of leftover bread, cubed
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 eggs, optional
steps
1. heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a deep saucepan over high heat, and fry the onions for a few minutes. once they soften a little, add the garlic and turn heat to low. cover and let the onions cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
2. meanwhile, fry the greens (seasoned with salt and pepper) in a bit of olive oil until they are just wilted, then set aside.
3. toss the bread cubes with some olive oil, salt, and 1/3 cup of chicken stock. massage with your hands so liquids are evenly distributed. preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
4. build the panade: start with a smear of onions, then greens, cheese, and bread. continue until you have at least 2-3 layers of each ingredient. then drizzle in the rest of the chicken stock.
5. bake, covered, for 1 hour, then turn the heat up to 400 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes so that the top layer is crispy.
6. serve with a fried egg on top of each plate if you like.
cost calculation
1 lb leafy greens, $3.00
2 large red onions, $0.70
2 cups gruyere, $3.20
2 cups chicken stock, $0.30
half a loaf of leftover bread, $0.80
total: 8 divided by 4 = $2.00
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