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Pounti
Cantal's savoury chard and prune loaf (pounti auvergnat, meat-free)
Farm kitchens in the Cantal and the Aveyron uplands bake pounti as a way to use the garden's chard and a few prunes from the cupboard: a soft savoury loaf, green-flecked and studded with dark sweet fruit, served warm with a salad for supper or cold in slices for a picnic. It is traditionally made with bacon or ham; this version leaves the meat out and adds a little smoked paprika for the same savoury edge. Chef's tip: wring the blanched chard really dry, or the loaf will be soggy in the middle.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 900 g loaf tin with ⅓ oz butter.
Step 2: Blanch 10 ½ oz Swiss chard leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain, cool under cold water and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop finely.
5 minStep 3: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook 1 onion for 6 minutes until soft, adding 1 clove garlic for the last minute.
7 minStep 4: Whisk 5 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 4 eggs, 1 cup whole milk, ½ tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper into a smooth batter, like a thick pancake batter.
Step 5: Stir in the chard, onion, ⅔ oz flat-leaf parsley and 2 tbsp chives. Common mistake: adding the chard while still wet, which leaves a raw, damp middle.
Step 6: Pour half the batter into the tin, lay 12 pitted prunes in a row along the centre and cover with the rest of the batter.
Step 7: Bake for 45–50 minutes, until puffed, golden and firm in the middle; a skewer should come out clean.
50 minStep 8: Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and slice. Serve warm or cold with a green salad.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pounti take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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