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Spinach Mold
(Sformato di Spinaci)
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| What You Need: |
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5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs, made from French or Italian bread
3 tablespoons finely chopped onions
1 ten-ounce package chopped frozen spinach, thoroughly defrosted, squeezed dry and chopped again or ¾ pound fresh spinach, cooked, drained, squeezed and finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
Freshly ground black pepper
3 egg yolks
¼ cup freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese
Salt
3 egg whites
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| How To Cook: |
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1. With 1 tablespoon of butter, grease the top pan of a double boiler (it should be large enough to hold at least 1 quart), or preheat the oven to 325°F and butter a 1-quart charlotte mold or other plain metal mold with a cover.
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2. Dust the bottom and sides of the pan with bread crumbs and tap the pan lightly to knock out the excess. In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat and in it cook the onions, stirring frequently, for 7 or 8 minutes, or until they are transparent but not browned.
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3. Stir in the spinach and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 or 3 minutes. When all of the moisture has cooked away and the spinach begins to stick lightly to the pan, remove the skillet from the heat.
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4. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Then pour in the milk, stirring with a whisk until the flour is partially dissolved.
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5. Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce boils and becomes thick and smooth. Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until each one is thoroughly blended before adding the next.
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6. Stir in the cheese and the onion-and-spinach mixture, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow it to cool slightly. Now beat the egg whites until they are stiff enough to form unwavering peaks when the beater is lifted from the bowl.
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7. Stir a heaping spoonful of egg whites into the sauce to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Ladle the mixture into the buttered pan or mold.
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8. To cook the sformato in the double boiler, place the top pan in simmering water deep enough to come almost all the way up its sides. Cover and cook slowly over barely simmering water.
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9. To cook in the oven, place the mold in a pot and add enough simmering water to reach about ¾ of the way up the sides of the mold.
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10. Cover and bake on the middle shelf of the oven, regulating the heat to keep the water at the barest simmer. Either way, the sformato should be just firm to the touch in about 1 hour.
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11. To serve, uncover the pan and wipe the outside dry. Run a knife or narrow spatula around the inside of the pan. Place a serving plate upside down over the top of the pan and, grasping both sides firmly, invert the two. Rap the plate sharply on the table and the sformato will slide out easily. Serve at once.
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