Spinach Sformato Recipes

SPINACH SFORMATO

Steps:

• This step can be done in advance.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 6 individual muffin liners or ramekins, place in a larger baking dish and set aside.In a small (3-quart) saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour to the melted butter and mix until the flour is evenly absorbed. Continue to stir and cook the bechamel sauce base, until the flour begins to thicken and bind with the butter, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using a whisk, slowly add the cold milk, a little at a time, until all the milk has been incorporated. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover the surface of the bechamel sauce with plastic wrap, and allow to cool slightly.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of the olive oil.Add the spinach and sauté quickly until tender, about 1 minute. Season the spinach to taste, usually a scant 1/2 teaspoon, remove from the saute pan, spread out on paper towels and cool to room temperature. Squeeze the spinach gently to remove any excess water.Blend the remaining olive oil, béchamel sauce, parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, eggs and egg yolk, and spinach until very smooth. Fill the prepared liners 3/4 full with the batter. Pour hot water into the baking dish, filled to 2/3 of the way up the custards. Place the larger baking dish on the lower rack in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. The custards are cooked when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Run a knife around the edge of the sformato and invert or unmold onto a small plate. Serve with your best-quality extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

ASPARAGUS SFORMATO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread asparagus out in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; mix.
• Bake in the preheated oven until asparagus is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, saute pancetta in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Remove asparagus from the oven. Cut off asparagus tips and set aside. Puree asparagus stalks in a blender.
• Reduce oven temperature to 315 degrees F (160 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
• Beat eggs with an electric mixer until foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully fold in milk, remaining Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Fold in pureed asparagus. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Place asparagus tips on top in a decorative pattern.
• Bake in the preheated oven until sformato is lightly browned and starts to pull away from the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes, and serve.

SPINACH SFORMATINO WITH PANCETTA, RADISHES, AND SPRING ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter the inside of four 4-ounce ramekins; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Add spinach to boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to ice-water bath; drain and transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Ring out spinach in towel to dry.
• Transfer cooked spinach to the bowl of a food processor along with 1 egg; process until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Add ricotta, parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and nutmeg; stir until well combined. Divide spinach mixture evenly between prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and transfer to oven; bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add pancetta and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Add morels and onions, continue to cook until morels and onions are soft and fat is completely rendered from pancetta, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and swirl to coat in pan; remove from heat. Add vinegar and season with salt; set vinaigrette aside and keep warm.
• Fill a medium saucepan with 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. When water is barely simmering, break one egg into a small heatproof bowl. Placing lip of bowl in the water, gently tip the bowl to slide egg carefully into pan. Cook, stirring water, until whites are just set but yolks are still soft (they should still move around inside), 2 to 3 minutes. Lift out eggs with a slotted spoon or small mesh sieve; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Remove ramekins from oven and invert each onto a serving plate. Top each with a poached egg and spoon vinaigrette over eggs and garnish with spinach leaves and radish slices; serve immediately.

SFORMATO DI PATATE

Steps:

• Steam or boil whole unpeeled potatoes until not quite tender. When cool enough for handling, slice potatoes on a mandolin (or on the bladed side of a box grater), no more than 1/8 inch thick, preferably thinner.
• Chop bacon into matchsticks or cubes.
• Slice the onions and saute' with bacon and olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan.
• Add the potatoes when the onions and bacon are about half cooked. Blend ingredients with 1 tbsp salt, being careful not to break up the potato slices too much.
• Whisk the eggs with the parmigiano and pour over the potato and onion mixture.
• Cover and cook over very low flame for 15 minutes (or until deep golden on the bottom).
• Here's the only tricky part:.
• Uncover and turn off flame. Place a plate or platter upside-down over the pan, keeping one hand firmly on the bottom of the plate, and the other on the pan handle, as close to the pan as you can - you need a strong grip.
• Now, flip the plate and pan in a single, decisive motion so that the plate is now on the bottom.
• You should now have the golden brown bottom of the sformato on top, and the uncooked top on the bottom.
• Remove the pan and replace on stove.
• Slide the 'sformato', now a more or less cohesive unit, back into the pan so that the uncooked side is now in contact with the pan. Sprinkle browned side with black pepper.
• Cover and cook for 15 more minutes.
• Slide the finished 'sformato' onto a clean platter.
• Let cool for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better), slice into wedges and serve as a side dish or as a main course.
• Tips: Best at room temperature, and it tastes better the next day!