19 September 2016 By Karen Burns-Booth 44 Comments

Grana Padano Chicken & Artichoke Gratin

Yum

Autumn Comfort Food

My third and final bespoke recipe in collaboration with Grana Padano is a fabulous Autumn supper dish for the whole family, Grana Padano Chicken & Artichoke Gratin; this easy to prepare dish has a tasty crusty crumb topping with lots of grated Grana Padano cheese and is perfect when served with steamed seasonal veggies or salad. I added fresh tarragon for an extra flavour layer as it marries so well with chicken in particular.

The salty flavour of Grana Padano cheese, as well as its great melting properties elevates this dish above the usual baked gratin; using Grana Padano Riserva cheese, which is aged for 20 months and has a robust, nutty and complex taste, as well as some of the Grana Padano 9-month aged cheese, both of which perfectly compliments the chicken thighs, juicy tinned artichokes, aromatic fresh tarragon and creamy sauce in this comforting recipe.

As I mentioned before in my previous two recipe posts, the cheese has a fascinating history; created by the Cistercian monks of Chiaravalle in the 12th century, it is still made throughout the Po River Valley in North-Eastern Italy, and it’s a cheese with a very special pedigree and history, which is just as popular today as it was hundreds of years ago. I always have all the three vintages in my fridge, as each one adds a special taste and texture to cooking, AND baking too.

Today’s recipe for Grana Padano Chicken & Artichoke Gratin can be assembled in the morning, before going to work, and after bringing it to room temperature for half an hour, it’s ready to pop into the oven for an easy family meal. If you aren’t a fan of chicken thighs, then by all means substitute them for chicken breast fillets, or even chicken drumsticks, it’s a fabulous dish with any cut of chicken.

For all my other Grana Padano recipes, please pop over to see them here: Roast Tomato & Grana Padano Bruschetta with Capers and here: Rustic Tuscan Bean Casserole with Grana Padano Cheese Croutons. I find that most cooking and baking recipes always shine when cheese is added and Grana Padano is the perfect cheese to sprinkle on all of your pasta, bakes, gratins and even bread recipes. I hope you have enjoyed all my specially created recipes using Grana Padano cheese, and do let me know by leaving a comment if you make any of them! Karen

Lavender and Lovage Grana Padano Tasting Notes:

Grana Padano 9-month vintage: Perfect in salads and for sprinkling on pasta, the sweeter milder flavour is also a great way to introduce children to this type of cheese. Also excellent when mixed with a stronger vintage as a cheesy topping.
Grana Padano 16-month vintage: Great for general baking and cooking, this cheese has a stronger flavour than the 9-month aged cheese and can hold its own in rustic cooking as well as in scones, bruschetta and bread.
Grana Padano “Riserva”: A fabulous cheese which has been aged for a minimum of 20 months, this vintage is very robust and nutty with a wonderful texture and is amazing when served on the cheese board (with wine), as well as in any baked gratins, flans, pies, tarts or quiches.

See more recipes and cheese chat over on Grana Padano Twitter, Grana Padano Facebook and Grana Padano Instagram pages.

Disclaimer: Collaborative post with Grana Padano