by AntoniaJames
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AntoniaJames's Notes:
ExpandOne savory tart crust, blind baked (See note below.) Ask a question about this ingredient
5-6 medium chard leaves Ask a question about this ingredient
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons butter Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons sour cream Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons sauerkraut juice Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon Wondra flour (or cake flour) Ask a question about this ingredient
3 ounces cultured cream cheese Ask a question about this ingredient
2 hard cooked eggs, sliced Ask a question about this ingredient
3 slices natural bacon, cooked and cut into 1” pieces Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or more to taste) Ask a question about this ingredient
1-2 ounces Dubliner or other similar cheese, coarsely grated Ask a question about this ingredient
Salt and pepper, to taste Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ask a question about this stepCut the stem portion out of each chard leaf and finely chop the stems. Then coarsely chop the green leaf pieces.
Ask a question about this stepMelt the butter in a heavy skillet and add the onion and the chard stems, along with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent. Remove it from the skillet and, over medium heat, wilt the green pieces of chard, stirring briskly for two or three minutes. Drain off any excess liquid from the pan.
Ask a question about this stepMix together in a small bowl the sour cream, flour and sauerkraut juice.
Ask a question about this stepSmear the cream cheese on the bottom of the tart shell. Then layer on the sliced hard boiled eggs, with pieces of bacon between the egg slices.
Ask a question about this stepPour over the sour cream and sauerkraut juice, then sprinkle on the dill. Grind pepper over it, if you want.
Ask a question about this stepNext, scatter on top the onions and chard stems, followed by the wilted chard leaves, and finally, the grated cheese.
Ask a question about this stepBake for 30 - 35 minutes in the top third of the oven, checking after 15 minutes to make sure the crust isn’t browning too much. Depending on how warm your ingredients are when they go into the crust, it could take up to another 15 minutes. (My ingredients were all at room temperature and it was ready after 30.)
Ask a question about this stepEnjoy!! ;o)
Ask a question about this stepN.B. I used a cream cheese crust for this, which was somewhat decadent, but perfectly suited for the filling. Following the ratios compiled by Uwe Hestnar. a now-retired chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, and described by Michael Ruhlman in his book, "Ratio," I substituted 4 ounces of cultured cream cheese (no stabilizers or starches, and with a lovely buttermilk-like tang) for four ounces of the butter I'd otherwise use. I referred to Susan Purdy's method, however, described in "As Easy as Pie," to work with the fats at room temperature. Then I chilled the dough for well over an hour; the crust turned out splendidly. ;o)
Ask a question about this stepThanks, VanessaS, I hope you do. If you're going for a strong sauerkraut flavor, you could also add some good sauerkraut, drained well, after you put on the hard cooked eggs and before you spoon on the sour cream mixture. (I might leave out the sauerkraut juice, to keep the cream the right consistency.) I thought sauerkraut plus sour cream and buttermilk sounded a bit odd when I first read about Chlodnik, but after tasting it, I'm hooked. I posted a potato salad recipe today that incorporates those three primary ingredients, plus the dill, and some sour pickles for good measure. ;o)
Thanks for noticing that . . . . I layered the chard directly under the white cheese, without the onions (which I might otherwise do, to get more caramelization), and scattered the cheese to leave some sizable bare spots, for that very reason. ;o)
Thank you, SG! ;o)
Thanks, wssmom!
Actually, I've been ridiculously busy with client work, so I had to squeeze the tarts in around the edges. It was a lot of fun, however, especially because my older son has been home on spring break; He's such a good sport about my culinary adventures. (A fairly common question at our dinner table, especially when the boys are home, is, "Are you testing this for Editors Picks or is this your latest experiment?" ;o)
I have been waiting for this. You know with food trends and with the way things
go I see Eastern Europe, Germany and Russia being hot spots. Looks lovely I like the idea of th sauerkraut juice.
Thanks so much, Mr. H. As you can probably guess, I'm working on some related items. Stay tuned . . . ;o)
My parents love chlodnik - I might need to make this for them! Looks great!