{"id":1713,"date":"2005-10-14T06:20:00","date_gmt":"2005-10-14T06:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elitemporaryblog.wordpress.com\/2005\/10\/14\/sog-story"},"modified":"2015-09-24T03:54:15","modified_gmt":"2015-09-24T03:54:15","slug":"sog-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Sog Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am, dear reader, a bread snob. I\u2019m a harsh critic of crust and crumb, a stickler for sourdough, and very, very picky about my pain au levain. In my experience, few things trigger heartache like a cardboard baguette or a spongy, thin-skinned boule\u2014and honey, I have known <\/em>heartache.<\/p>\n

But lately I\u2019ve found myself feeling an unabashed affection for a type of bread that would ordinarily fall under the general category of \u201cbad,\u201d<\/strong> and that would be soggy<\/em> bread<\/strong>. In fact, I\u2019m starting to wonder if the title of this blog isn\u2019t something of a misnomer. \u201cOrangette\u201d is apt enough, I suppose, and certainly, plenty of chocolate-dipped orange rinds have passed these lips, but given the recent output of my kitchen, \u201cSog Story\u201d seems more fitting. It may seem a bit sog-centric of me, but as far as I\u2019m concerned, first there was <\/strong>pappa al pomodoro<\/strong><\/em><\/a>; then there was panade<\/em>; and then there was light<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

James Baldwin once wrote, \u201cTo be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the breaking of bread. It will be a great day for America, incidentally, when we begin to eat bread again, instead of that blasphemous and tasteless foam rubber that we have substituted for it\u201d (The Fire Next Time<\/em>, 1963).<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019d certainly second that, but if it were up to me, I\u2019d rephrase things a bit. To be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in soggy bread, in sogginess itself and to be present with all that we make soggy, from the effort of soaking to the eating of wet bread. It will be a great day for America when we begin to eat soggy bread<\/strong>, instead of blasphemously and tastelessly scorning it.<\/p>\n

Indeed, I\u2019m starting to think that if I\u2019m to be remembered for anything, it might as well be for my unflagging advocacy of panade<\/em>, a velvety, voluptuous casserole with a base of soggy bread and stewed onions<\/strong>. This is where stale bread goes when it\u2019s been very, very good.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
As someone who has cobbled together some of her most satisfying meals from little more than bread, cheese, and a bowl of greens, I\u2019m prone to nothing less than fits of fork-in-air ecstasy<\/strong> before a steaming plate of this peasant fare, a slurp-worthy mosaic of day-old bread, coarsely grated gruy\u00e8re, wilted chard, and caramelized onions, doused in chicken broth and baked until swollen and silky.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Somewhere between the full-bodied flavor of good broth, the unctuous ooze of melting gruy\u00e8re, and the deep, dark sweetness of slow-cooked onions, panade<\/em> becomes something infinitely greater\u2014and wondrously richer\u2014than the sum of its simple parts<\/strong>. A cross between soup and stuffing, it’s an ideal accompaniment to a chilly night\u2019s dinner of roasted chicken, lamb, or pork, but it\u2019s also plenty satisfying on its own, with little more than a green salad alongside.<\/p>\n

If this is what a soggy Seattle winter tastes like, there will be some serious heartache when spring rolls around.<\/p>\n

Chard, Onion, and Gruy\u00e8re Panade<\/strong>
Adapted from The Zuni Caf\u00e9 Cookbook<\/em><\/p>\n

If you, like me, aren\u2019t regularly cooking for a crowd, you may be tempted to toss aside this recipe, assuming that this delicate, soupy stuff won\u2019t make for good leftovers. Skeptical reader, I argue otherwise. Once refrigerated, the panade<\/em> will soak up its extra liquid and become something like a moist Thanksgiving stuffing, but all is not lost. A quick jolt in the microwave will restore its soft unctuousness, even if its soupiness is gone. In fact, it makes for wonderful at-work lunches: easily transported in a Tupperware container, it is hearty, satisfying fuel for a day of whatever it is that you do. And if you\u2019re into gilding the lily, Judy Rodgers, chef of the Zuni Caf\u00e9, also recommends pan-frying flattened scoops of leftovers. I haven\u2019t yet tried this method, but if you do, please report back.<\/p>\n

1 \u00bd lbs yellow onions, preferably a sweet variety, thinly sliced
About \u00bd cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, slivered
Salt
1 lb red Swiss chard, thick ribs removed, cut into 1-inch-wide ribbons
Water
10 ounces day-old chewy artisan bread, cut into rough 1-inch cubes
2 cups good-quality chicken broth
About 2 loosely packed cups good-quality Swiss gruy\u00e8re<\/p>\n

To prepare the onions:<\/em>
Place the onions in a large, deep saucepan or Dutch oven, and drizzle and toss with about \u00bc cup \"\"<\/a>olive oil. Set over medium-high heat, and shaking the pan occasionally, cook until the bottom layer of onions is golden on the edges, about 3 minutes. Stir, and repeat. Once the second layer of onions has colored, reduce the heat to low, and stir in the garlic and a few pinches of salt. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are pale amber and tender but not mushy, another 20 minutes or so. If at any point the onions look as though they\u2019re drying out, cover the pan to trap in moisture.<\/p>\n

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n

To prepare the chard:
<\/em>Place handfuls of chard in a large saut\u00e9 pan or skillet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with water and a few pinches of salt. Set the pan over medium heat until the bottom layer of leaves begins to cook; then reduce the heat and stir and fold the leaves until they are just wilted, 2-4 minutes. The leaves should be bright green and their white veins quite pliable. Set aside.<\/p>\n

To prepare the bread:<\/em>
Using your hands, toss and massage the cubed bread with 2 or 3 Tbs olive oil, \u00bc cup of the broth, and a few pinches of salt.<\/p>\n

To build the <\/em>panade:<\/em>
Using a flameproof 2-quart souffl\u00e9 dish or deep, enameled cast-iron pan, assemble the panade<\/em> in layers. Start with a good smear of onions, followed by a loose scattering of bread cubes, a thin layer of onions, a blanked of chard, and a handful of cheese. Repeat, continuing until all ingredients are incorporated and the dish is full. Aim for 2 to 3 layers of each component, but make sure that the top is a mosaic of all the ingredients. Don\u2019t worry if the layers are a bit uneven, or if you have to pack them down a bit\u2014this is meant to be rustic.<\/p>\n

Bring the remaining 1 \u00be cups broth and 2 cups water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Pour the warm liquid slowly, in doses, over the assembled panade<\/em>, drizzling it down the sides of the dish. The liquid should come up nearly to the top of the layered ingredients.<\/p>\n

Set the dish over low heat on the stovetop, and bring its liquid to a simmer, looking for bubbles around the edges. Cover the top of the dish with parchment paper, then very loosely cover the top again with aluminum foil. Place the panade on a baking sheet to catch drips, slide it into the oven, and bake it until hot and bubbly, about 1 to 1 \u00bd hours. The top should be pale golden and a bit darker on the edges.<\/p>\n

Uncover the panade<\/em>, raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and leave until for another 10-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove it from the oven, allow it to settle for a minute or two, and then serve.<\/p>\n

Yield: About 5 main-dish servings, or 6-8 side-dish servings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am, dear reader, a bread snob. I\u2019m a harsh critic of crust and crumb, a stickler for sourdough, and very, very picky about my pain au levain. In my experience, few things trigger heartache like a cardboard baguette or a spongy, thin-skinned boule\u2014and honey, I have known heartache. But lately I\u2019ve found myself feeling an unabashed affection for a type of bread that would ordinarily fall under the general category of \u201cbad,\u201d and that would be soggy bread. In fact, I\u2019m starting to wonder if the title of this blog isn\u2019t something of a misnomer. \u201cOrangette\u201d is apt enough, I suppose, and certainly, plenty of chocolate-dipped orange rinds have passed these lips, but given the recent output of my…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSog Story | Orangette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sog Story | Orangette\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I am, dear reader, a bread snob. I\u2019m a harsh critic of crust and crumb, a stickler for sourdough, and very, very picky about my pain au levain. In my experience, few things trigger heartache like a cardboard baguette or a spongy, thin-skinned boule\u2014and honey, I have known heartache. But lately I\u2019ve found myself feeling an unabashed affection for a type of bread that would ordinarily fall under the general category of \u201cbad,\u201d and that would be soggy bread. In fact, I\u2019m starting to wonder if the title of this blog isn\u2019t something of a misnomer. \u201cOrangette\u201d is apt enough, I suppose, and certainly, plenty of chocolate-dipped orange rinds have passed these lips, but given the recent output of my…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Orangette\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/molly.wizenberg\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2005-10-14T06:20:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-09-24T03:54:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/10\/Chard_panade_edge_text.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@mollyorangette\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@mollyorangette\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Molly\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/\",\"name\":\"Orangette\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/10\/Chard_panade_edge_text.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/10\/Chard_panade_edge_text.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/\",\"name\":\"Sog Story | Orangette\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2005-10-14T06:20:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-09-24T03:54:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/#\/schema\/person\/72d7c362f82fa0578c635d88a69d07fe\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sog Story\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/orangette.net\/#\/schema\/person\/72d7c362f82fa0578c635d88a69d07fe\",\"name\":\"Molly\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/orangette.net\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/orangette.net\/author\/molly\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sog Story | Orangette","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2005\/10\/sog-story\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Sog Story | Orangette","og_description":"I am, dear reader, a bread snob. 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