Weekend Drama: Smoky Swiss Chard & Harissa Skillet Poach
Growing up in Tel Aviv, weekend mornings were never quiet. They were a loud, chaotic symphony of chopping, sizzling, and fighting over the last warm pita. This Smoky Swiss Chard and Harissa Skillet Poach takes me straight back to my mother's kitchen, where she would throw whatever greens she had into a bubbling, spicy tomato braise.\n\nFor this dish, we're taking a massive mountain of Swiss chard—stems and all, because we waste absolutely nothing here—and braising it down into a deeply smoky, harissa-laced tomato stew. Once it is meltingly tender, we nestle in eggs to poach gently right in the sauce. What makes this recipe so special to me is the obsession with texture contrast. We finish it with a loud, buttery pine nut crunch and a heavy, unapologetic cascade of tangy preserved lemon tahini. You know me, tahini belongs on literally everything!\n\nWant to make it your own? If you don't have chard, kale works beautifully, just give it an extra five minutes to soften. Swap the pine nuts for crushed toasted almonds if you prefer. Just do not skimp on the fresh herbs at the end—more herbs is always the answer. Grab some thick, crusty bread, dive right in, and let it get a little messy.
Featured Recipe
Smoky Swiss Chard & Harissa Skillet Poach with Preserved Lemon Tahini
Weekend brunch deserves a little drama, and this vibrant skillet is exactly that. We take a massive mountain of Swiss chard—stems and leaves, because we waste nothing—and braise it down into a deeply smoky, harissa-laced tomato stew until it becomes meltingly tender. We nestle in eggs to poach gently right in the sauce, then finish it all with a loud, buttery pine nut crunch and a heavy cascade of tangy preserved lemon tahini.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch Swiss chard(Stems finely diced, leaves roughly chopped into ribbons. Keep them separated.)
- 3 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil(Divided use (1 tbsp for the crunch, 2 tbsp for the braise).)
- 1/4 cup Pine nuts(For our textural contrast.)
- 1 tablespoon White sesame seeds(Unscraped, toasted.)
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper(Substitute with half the amount of standard red pepper flakes if needed.)
- 1 medium Yellow onion(Finely diced.)
- 4 cloves Garlic(Thinly sliced.)
- 2 tablespoons Rose harissa paste(Adjust based on the heat level of your brand.)
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1.5 cups Crushed tomatoes(High-quality canned.)
- 5 Large eggs(Room temperature if possible.)
- 1/3 cup Pure tahini paste(Stirred well before measuring.)
- 1 tablespoon Preserved lemon(Flesh and rind finely minced to a paste.)
- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice(Freshly squeezed.)
- 3 tablespoons Ice water(Essential for whipping the tahini to a light, fluffy texture.)
- 1/2 cup Fresh cilantro and dill(Roughly chopped, mixed together.)
- 1 teaspoon Salt(Required for seasoning the tahini sauce, the tomato-chard base, and the eggs as mentioned in steps 3, 4, and 5.)
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper(Required for seasoning the tomato and chard mixture in step 4.)
Instructions
- 1
In a large, dry skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup Pine nuts, 1 tablespoon White sesame seeds, and 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper. Toast gently, tossing constantly until the pine nuts are golden and smell incredible. Immediately transfer the crunch to a small bowl so it doesn't burn. Do not wipe out the pan; we want that spiced oil.
5 min
Tip: Pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds. Keep your eyes on the pan and move them to a cool bowl the second they turn caramel-colored.
- 2
Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil. Add the diced 1 medium Yellow onion and the chopped Swiss chard stems. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the chard stems have softened, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the sliced 4 cloves Garlic, 2 tablespoons Rose harissa paste, 1 teaspoon Ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika, cooking for 1 more minute until the spices bloom and smell intensely fragrant.
7 min
Tip: Treat the chard stems just like celery or onions—they are aromatic and need a head start before the delicate leaves go in.
- 3
While the onions and stems are sweating down, make the preserved lemon tahini. In a small bowl, aggressively whisk together the 1/3 cup Pure tahini paste, 1 tablespoon Preserved lemon, and 2 tablespoons Lemon juice. The mixture will seize up and look thick. Slowly drizzle in the 3 tablespoons Ice water, whisking constantly until it relaxes into a smooth, creamy sauce the texture of heavy cream. Season with a tiny pinch of 1 teaspoon Salt.
5 min
Tip: Ice water is the secret to perfectly fluffy, light-colored tahini. Don't skip it. If the tahini is still too thick, add one more teaspoon of ice water at a time.
- 4
Pour the 1.5 cups Crushed tomatoes into the skillet with your aromatics. Season with 1 teaspoon Salt and 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Begin adding the Swiss chard leaves in large handfuls, folding them into the hot tomato sauce until they wilt down completely. Let the whole mixture braise and bubble together until the sauce thickens slightly and the greens are silky.
8 min
Tip: It will look like too much Swiss chard at first. Trust the process. Like spinach, it will miraculously vanish into the stew in a matter of minutes.
- 5
Use the back of a spoon to create 5 small divots or 'wells' in the simmering chard and tomato mixture. Carefully crack 5 Large eggs into each well. Season the eggs with a pinch of 1 teaspoon Salt. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the skillet with a lid, and let the eggs poach directly in the sauce until the whites are set but the yolks remain jammy and runny.
6 min
Tip: Keep a close eye on the skillet around the 4-minute mark. Eggs carry over cooking, so pull the skillet off the heat slightly before you think they are completely done.
- 6
Remove the lid. Take your skillet straight to the table. Generously swoop and drizzle the preserved lemon tahini all over the braised greens, avoiding the egg yolks if you can so they still shine. Scatter the reserved 1/4 cup Pine nuts and 1 tablespoon White sesame seeds crunch over everything, then blanket the dish in the 1/2 cup Fresh cilantro and dill. Serve immediately with warm, charred pita for scooping.
2 min
Tip: I like to leave a little extra tahini on the side for people who want a heavier pour—which, in my house, is everybody.
Chef's Notes
Swiss chard is completely underappreciated, but here it gets the royal treatment. By using both the earthy, crunchy stems in the base and the delicate leaves folded in later, you get an incredible depth of flavor. This is my weekend brunch manifesto: we braise, we poach, and we cover everything in tahini and loud, buttery crunches. Please don't skip the ice water in your tahini—it sounds fussy, but it chemically changes the tahini from a dense paste into a cloud.
Yael Mizrahi
Bold flavors, beautiful plates
Born in Tel Aviv to a Moroccan mother and Iraqi father, I grew up speaking the language of spice. My kitchen was always full of cumin, preserved lemons, and the sound of multiple conversations happening at once. I moved to London at 22, cooked my way through the city's best restaurants, and discovered that the whole Mediterranean was my playground. Now I create dishes that celebrate the entire region—from Marrakech to Athens, with plenty of stops in between.