3097. SWISS CHARD and BACON-WRAPPED PORK GAYETTES

makes 16 gayettes


2 cups cooked Swiss chard leaves
1 large leaf sorrel (optional)
1 cup chopped white portions of leeks or onions
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons beef consomme
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/2 lb. chicken or pork liver
2 lb. ground pork, half lean and half fat
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaf
4 slices bacon

Squeeze chard, and chop with sorrel (if available). Stew the leeks or onions in the oil and butter until wilted, 5-10 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds, mix in chard, and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until moisture is evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, set aside. Heat consomme and dissolve gelatin in it; set aside. Finely chop or grind liver, add to pork along with all the spices, consomme, and chard; mix thoroughly. (Saute a small amount, taste, and correct seasonings if necessary.)

Chill the mixture; then form into either 2-3-inch balls or thick patties. Place on a buttered baking pan. Cut bacon strips into 16 pieces and place one on each gayette. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 35-45 minutes, turning once, if desired.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Victory Garden Cookbook, by Marian Morash, p. 308; Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1982