Grilled Rainbow Chard Stems with Lemon Aioli
Here the stems are the star: brushed with oil, grilled until lightly charred, and served with a quick lemon aioli. A starter that surprises people.
The colourful stems of rainbow chard (a variety of silverbeet, or mangold as it's also known) are usually treated as offcuts. That's a shame, because with a little heat and smoke something lovely happens: the sweetness comes forward, the edges caramelise, and the colours stay almost untouched.
The leaves are left over here, and that's the point. Stir-fry them tomorrow, or bake them into crispy chips while the grill is still hot.
Ingredients
- Stems from 2 bunches rainbow chard (about 400 g)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Flaky salt and black pepper
- 6 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- Juice and finely grated zest of half a lemon
Method
- 1Stir together mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and zest for the aioli. Season with salt and chill.
- 2Cut the stems into 12–15 cm lengths and rinse them well.
- 3Blanch the stems in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and dry them thoroughly; wet stems grill badly.
- 4Brush the stems with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- 5Grill over high heat, in a griddle pan or on the barbecue, for 2–3 minutes per side until clearly marked and lightly charred at the edges.
- 6Arrange on a platter, grate over a little extra lemon zest, and serve with the aioli for dipping.
Serving suggestions
Serve as a starter with good bread, or alongside grilled fish or chicken. The leaves you trimmed off deserve their own dinner: a stir-fry or a tray of baked chips.
Make ahead, store, and reheat
The aioli keeps for 3 days in the fridge, and the stems can be blanched the day before. The grilling itself takes three minutes and should happen just before serving.