- 10–12 chard leaves (depending on size)
- 2 leeks
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese (optional)
- 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- Very cold water
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Fresh parsley
Finely chop the onion and sauté it in a pot with three tablespoons of olive oil until softened. Clean and slice the leeks, then add.
Bake or boil the potatoes, crush them roughly, and mix into the pot with the leeks and onion. Stir gently over medium heat.
Separate the chard stems (pencas) from the leaves. Chop the leaves and half of the stems into cubes, then add them into the vegetable mix.
Pour in about 750ml of water, season with salt and pepper, and boil everything for 18–20 minutes until the vegetables become very tender.
Blend the cooked vegetables with the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Set the chard purée aside for plating later on.
Slice the remaining chard stems into sticks. Boil in salted water for 15–20 minutes until soft. Drain them thoroughly and set aside.
Mix tempura flour with paprika in a bowl. Gradually add ice-cold water while stirring until the batter is smooth but not too runny.
Dip the chard sticks into the tempura batter. Fry them in plenty of hot oil until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Divide the chard purée among four plates. Sprinkle a little black pepper and olive oil over each serving for extra flavor and richness.
Place a few pine nuts in the center of each purée serving. Arrange 3–4 tempura chard sticks around and garnish with fresh parsley leaves.