Bring the water to the boil with a little salt in a large saucepan. Wash the chard thoroughly and then drain it. Strip the leaves from the stalks and pull off the threads from the stalks from top to bottom (in the same way as peeling rhubarb).

Cut the chard leaves and stalks into 4-cm (1 1/2 in) pieces, tip into the boiling salted water, cover the pan and boil for 20 minutes, then drain the chard in a sieve.

Melt half the butter, stir in the chard, season to taste and stir in the creme fraiche. Keep the chard hot in an open pan over a low heat.

Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan, brown the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the chard before serving.

Serve with: Veal Escalopes in Cream, with Spatzle, or Chicken with Almonds.