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Blitva
Blitva: Dalmatian Swiss chard and potatoes with garlic and olive oil, from coastal Croatia
Order grilled fish in any konoba along the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, from Zadar down to Dubrovnik, and a heap of blitva usually comes with it. Swiss chard and potatoes are boiled together until soft, then crushed roughly with lots of good olive oil and a little garlic, so the potatoes turn creamy and the chard stays silky and green. It is humble, quick and very good, also with grilled vegetables, eggs or a simple bean dish. The usual slip is not draining well enough, which leaves a watery, grey mush; let everything steam dry in the colander for a minute. Chef's tip: use the best olive oil you have and add a final drizzle at the table, as Dalmatians do, so its peppery taste stays bright.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz waxy potatoespeeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ lb Swiss chardstalks sliced 1 cm, leaves roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 4 lemon wedges (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring a large pan of water to the boil with 1 tsp salt, add 14 oz waxy potatoes and boil over a medium-high heat for 8 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Add the sliced chard stalks from the 1 ½ lb Swiss chard and boil for 3 minutes, then add the leaves and boil for 3–4 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender to a knife and the leaves are soft but still green.
7 minStep 3: Tip into a colander and leave to steam and drain for 1–2 minutes, shaking it once or twice.
2 minStep 4: Put the empty pan over a low heat with 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 3 cloves garlic and warm gently for 1 minute, until the garlic smells sweet but has not coloured.
1 minStep 5: Return the potatoes and chard to the pan and crush roughly with a fork or potato masher, leaving some chunks. Season with 1 pinch black pepper and more salt if needed.
2 minStep 6: Serve warm with 4 lemon wedges and an extra drizzle of oil at the table.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does blitva take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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