With our long-awaited Springtime finally at hand, it’s a good time to mentally shift gears and begin to cook a little differently. Various foods that we haven’t had access to all winter long are now available, and Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you that spinach is leading the parade.
In truth spinach hasn’t entirely disappeared, because some enterprising farmers have managed to keep producing it all year long in high tunnels and hot houses. But now we see spinach from the fields rolling into the market. Greens that grow during the cold winter months always seem to have some additional sweetness to them, so there’s an incentive to buy them. This is because in cold weather the hardy greens convert their stored starches into sugar which acts sort of like an anti-freeze. So that gives them that lovely sweetness that we find so attractive.
We’ve noticed that a lot of people are in love with baby spinach. How does that compare to mature spinach? Well, It’s much milder, for one thing. And you don’t have to cut the stem out of the leaves; just eat the whole thing. But… and this is important, the flavor of baby spinach is so mild that it doesn’t really do well in cooking. Mature spinach has a ton more flavor, so if you are making, say creamed spinach or palak paneer, you need that more flavorful mature spinach if you want that good spinach taste. But you do have to cut out the tough stem, which is a bit more work.
In Baltimore we love our creamed spinach, which is very popular in steak houses and restaurants. Here’s how to do it.
As Jerry points out, in this case it’s perfectly all right to use frozen spinach because they do package mature spinach. You just have to squeeze the water out of it after it thaws. And since it cooks down dramatically, you probably are going to need two packages. You’ll start with some finely chopped onion and garlic that you will gently sauté in butter. Then you add the squeezed spinach and cook it to get the remaining moisture out. Next comes the cream, and I think you should go all the way with heavy cream. Just don’t add too much. Cook all that, and then you start with the cheese. Traditionally you would use grated parmesan, but you could bump it up a bit by also blending in some torn up provolone. But the point is to cook it all over low to moderate heat until the cheese melts. For seasoning, nutmeg is often called for, along with simple salt and pepper. And if I’m making it, a little cumin will make an appearance.
Spinning off from creamed spinach, we have spanakopita. It’s very similar, with the addition of a phyllo dough crust. The filling is a lot like creamed spinach, except you use some eggs, some herbs and of course feta cheese. It’s essentially a one-crust pie which you bake until the phyllo is nice and crispy. And one thing we know about working with phyllo is to keep it from drying out, so keep a damp towel handy to drape over it.
Here are some recipes to try at home.
CLASSIC CREAMED SPINACH
Ingredients:
Olive oil
2 lbs fresh mature spinach (not baby) or frozen
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 large shallot, peeled, trimmed and diced
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbs finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over high heat; add spinach, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and gently stir until most of the leaves are bright green and wilted, about 2 minutes.
2. Quickly drain spinach in a strainer and transfer to a plate lined with 4 or 5 paper towels. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Transfer spinach to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
3. Mix cayenne pepper, nutmeg, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
4. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; stir in shallot and cook until just barely golden and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in seasoning mixture and pour in cream; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until the cream sauce reduces by about half, about 5 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to low and toss spinach with cream sauce in skillet. Cook and stir until spinach is heated through and coated, for about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese until thoroughly combined.
Serve immediately.
TRADITIONAL SPANAKOPITA
Ingredients
4 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 tbs minced garlic
2 pounds mature spinach, washed and chopped
½ cup fresh parsley
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 sheets of phyllo dough
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion, green onions, in the hot oil until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté briefly.
3. Stir in spinach and parsley, adding spinach in batches if it doesn't all fit in the pan at once, and continue to sauté until spinach is limp and excess liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. (Drain off excess liquid if it does not fully evaporate.) Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
4. Mix feta cheese, ricotta cheese, and eggs in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough in the prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top and brush with olive oil. Repeat the process with two more sheets of phyllo dough; the sheets will overlap the pan.
5. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into the pan. Fold any overhanging dough over the filling. Brush with oil.
6. Layer the remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into the pan to seal the filling.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
8. Set aside to cool enough to handle. Cut into squares and serve while hot.
