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1
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
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2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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3
Remove the stems from the chard but keep the leaves whole.
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4
Add the chard to the boiling water (the pot will be packed at first) and cook for 10 minutes.
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5
Drain in a colander and run under cool water.
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6
Drain again, then wrap the chard in a kitchen towel and squeeze to remove the excess water.
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7
Chop the chard.
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8
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
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9
Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute.
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10
Whisk in the milk and season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg.
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11
Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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12
Adjust the seasonings to taste.
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13
Stir in 1/3 cup Roasted Garlic Paste.
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14
Spread half the chard in the bottom of a medium casserole dish.
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15
Top with half the garlic sauce and half the cheese.
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16
Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese.
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17
Bake for 15 minutes.
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18
Remove the casserole from the oven and turn on the broiler.
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19
Halve the bread lengthwise, then cut in half crosswise to make four 12-inch-long pieces.
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20
Broil the bread, cut-side up, until charred, about 1 minute.
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21
Slather with the remaining Roasted Garlic Paste and top each piece with one-quarter of the chard au gratin.
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22
Cut each pizza in half and serve.
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23
The unbaked chard au gratin can covered be and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal.
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24
Bring to room temperature, then bake as directed.
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25
Roasted Garlic Paste:
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26
6 heads garlic, tops trimmed off to expose all of the cloves
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27
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
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28
3 tablespoons honey
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29
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
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30
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange the garlic in a cluster on a large piece of foil and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil.
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31
Wrap up the garlic in the foil to make a tightly sealed pouch.
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32
Roast until very tender, about 45 minutes.
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33
Let cool, then squeeze the garlic from the skins into a food processor.
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34
Add the remaining 3/4 cup olive oil and the honey and season with salt and pepper.
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35
Puree until smooth, then transfer to a small container.
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36
(Alternatively, you can mash the garlic paste with a fork instead of using a food processor.
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37
).
