Spinach Florentine
I have always had a fondness for spinach, either in salad form, as a filling for pasta, or baked, as in this recipe. The health benefits are a bonus, the sidebar is the great taste. Often recipes al la Florentine call for cream, I find milk is totally acceptable and with far less calories.
Ingredients:
4 large bunches or bags of fresh spinach, 12 ounce bags, stemmed and washed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow cooking onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic minced
1 large shallot diced fine
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 cups whole milk
good grating of nutmeg
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese (for the top)
1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (for the top)
Method:
Steam the spinach until it is just wilted, drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze all of the moisture from the spinach, chop and set aside.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan, add the onion, garlic and shallot, sauté until soft but not brown. Sprinkle the flour over and cook, stirring continually for about 2 minutes. This process will cook the flour, add the mustard then slowly whisk in the milk, continuing to whisk until the mixture is thick.
Add the nutmeg, and parmesan, taste before adding the sea salt, then and only then, season with your sea salt and pepper.
Add the reserved spinach and stir to combine.
Transfer the mixture into a 4 cup shallow baking/gratin dish. Mix the Gruyere and the 1/3 cup of Parmesan together and spread evenly over the spinach mixture and bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until the top is browned an bubbly.
Serves 6
Copyright © Caren McSherry 05/84
