Swiss Chard Purses with Sausage Stuffing

Soak bread cubes in milk in a large bowl until softened, 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out milk, discarding it, then crumble bread into bowl.

Wash chopped leeks well in a bowl of cold water, agitating them to loosen any grit, then lift out and transfer to a sieve to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Crumble sausage into skillet and brown, breaking up lumps with a fork, about 3 minutes.

Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to bowl with bread.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to skillet, then sauté chopped leek, chard stems, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir vegetables into bread mixture, then cool until warm, about 15 minutes. Stir remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper into eggs, then stir eggs into bread mixture.

Wash leek strips, then blanch in a large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, 2 minutes and transfer with tongs to a bowl of ice and cold water (reserve water in pot).

Transfer to a colander and drain well, then transfer to paper towels and pat dry. Blanch chard leaves in water just until wilted, about 30 seconds, and transfer with a slotted spoon to ice water to cool.

Drain chard leaves in colander.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread 1 chard leaf on a work surface, using smaller leaves to patch any holes if necessary. Chard-leaf wrapper should be about 8 by 5 inches (if it's smaller, overlap several small leaves to form a larger wrapper; don't worry if wrapper is larger than 8 by 5). Mound 1/4 cup stuffing in center, then gather chard up over filling to form a purse and tie closed with a leek strip. (You have extra strips in case some break.) Make 19 more purses in same manner.

Oil a 3-quart gratin or other shallow baking dish. Stand purses upright in dish and drizzle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil.

Add broth to dish and cover purses with a sheet of wax paper or parchment, then loosely cover with foil.

Bake purses until stuffing is warmed through and egg is set (cut one open on bottom to check), 35 to 40 minutes.

• Stuffing can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered.• Purses can be assembled (but not baked) 1 day ahead and chilled in gratin dish (without broth), covered. Bring to room temperature, then add broth before baking.