Oyster–Swiss Chard Gratin with Country Bacon

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon thick cut into small dice
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 1 cup breadcrumbs fresh
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups cup heavy whipping cream 
• 0.1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
• 1 small onion minced
• 18  dozens oysters dry coarsely chopped
• 1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 2 bunches swiss chard stemmed chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter unsalted

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• stove
• colander

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Brown the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
3. Add the butter, onion, garlic, and Swiss chard and sauté until the chard is completely wilted.
4. Remove from the heat.
5. Pour the mixture into a colander set in the sink and squeeze out all excess liquid. Reserve.
6. Return the pan to the stove and add the cream and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low so the cream does not boil over. Cook the cream until it reduces to 1 cup. Set aside to cool.
7. In a bowl, combine the chard mixture, cooled cream, and oysters.
8. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into a 3-quart gratin dish. Using the back of a spoon, spread the mixture evenly. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and sprinkle the topping evenly over the gratin.
9. Bake until the mixture is bubbling around the sides and the crust is lightly golden brown, about 12 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
11. Reprinted with permission from Southern Comfort: A New Take on the Recipes We Grew Up With by Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing, © 201
12. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing burst onto the culinary scene in 2003 as chefs of Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, which the New York Times called "one of the most distinctive new restaurants to come along in years" and earned Allison the 2004 James Beard Rising Star award. In 2005, the couple returned to Louisiana to open Longbranch followed by MiLa in New Orleans in 2007.