Capuns
Capuns is the traditional specialty of the canton of Grisons, a simple yet comforting dish that turns Swiss chard leaves into an edible wrapper for a spätzle-style batter mixed with smoked bacon. The recipe reflects the practical spirit of alpine cooking, where locally available food — garden vegetables and pantry cured meats — are ingeniously combined into a nourishing dish for the cold mountain season. The exact origins of capuns remain unclear, but the dish is considered one of the few authentic Romansh preparations to have survived, a living link to the cuisine of Romansh speakers in eastern Switzerland. The name likely derives from the Romansh verb for "to wrap" or "to cover", describing the process of rolling the batter in the chard leaf. Today, capuns remains a beloved family dish, often served at summer gatherings with fresh garden produce.
Chard leaves
Large, blanched leaves used as a wrapper
Bacon batter
Spätzle-style batter studded with smoked bacon
Grated cheese
Swiss cheese grated over the rolls
Browned butter
Served with browned butter poured on top
Ingredients 4 servings
- 12 large Swiss chard leaves
- 250 g flour
- 3 large eggs
- 100 ml milk
- 100 g smoked bacon, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 100 g Swiss cheese, grated
- 80 g butter
- Salt and black pepper
How to make it
- 1Blanch the chard leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds, then quickly cool them in iced water and drain well on a clean towel.
- 2Mix the flour with the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl, beating until you get a thick, elastic batter similar to spätzle dough.
- 3Sauté the onion and chopped bacon in a pan until golden, then let cool and stir into the batter.
- 4Lay a chard leaf on a clean surface, rib facing outward, and place a spoonful of batter near the base of the leaf.
- 5Roll the leaf tightly over the batter, folding the side edges inward, forming a compact roll.
- 6Repeat with all the leaves, then boil the rolls in salted boiling water for 12-15 minutes, until they float to the surface.
- 7Remove them carefully, drain and arrange on plates, sprinkling the grated cheese on top.
- 8Melt the butter in a pan until fragrant golden-brown, then pour it hot over the capuns rolls before serving.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
