Baked in a cheese sauce, these souffles offer all the delight of the classic dish without the last minute timing dilemma. Twice-baked means twice as good. This spinach souffle is light and airy inside, but the second baking in a sauce creates a savory, satisfying crust.
Ingredients
- FOR THE SOUFFLES:
- 1 pound fresh spinach
- 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg; more for the sauce
- 1 tsp.salt; more for the sauce
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more for the sauce
- 5 large egg yolks
- 7 large egg whites
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups light cream
- 1 1/4 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded Gruyere cheese
Directions
Wash, drain and de-stem spinach. Wilt over medium heat in a large saucepan. Toss spinach once or twice while cooking. Cook about 7 minutes. Drain and let cool.Squeeze spinach to extract as much water as possible.
Saute onion in 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saute pan for about 3 to 4 minutes. Chop spinach finely and add to the onion, along with the garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Saute until spinach is dry, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
To make the sauce: Bring milk just to the boil in a small saucepan. Melt 4 Tbs. butter in a medium saucepan; stir in flour. Cook over medium heat until it foams, 1 minute. Whisking briskly, pour in the hot milk. Keep whisking as the sauce boils and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour a third of the sauce back into the small pan and pour the cream on top so a skin doesn't form; set aside.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heavily butter sides and rims of six 1-cup ramekins. Stir spinach into the larger portion of the white sauce; warm it slightly. It should be soft enough to fall easily from a spoon without being soupy. Taste and adjust the seasonings. The mixture should be highly seasoned to balance off the bland egg whites. Remove from the heat. Stir in the egg yolks, one by one. The mixture should thicken slightly. If necessary, reheat 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, to thicken. Keep in a warm place.
Whisk the egg whites until firm but not stiff. Add one quarter of the egg whites to the very warm spinach mixture. Mix in thoroughly. The heat of the spinach will cook the whites slightly and stiffen the mixture. Add this mixture the remaining egg whites and fold in gently.
Gently spoon the mixture into the ramekins. Level the tops and run your thumb around the inner edge of each ramekin to form a groove. Set the ramekins in a roasting pan and pour very hot water around them to come 2/3 way up the sides. Bring the water bath to a boil on the stove and then put the pan in the hot oven.
Bake until the souffles puff and brown lightly on top, about 20 to 25 minutes. Press them in the ceneter with a finger tip- they should be just firm. Remove from the oven and cool for 4 to 5 minutes. Lift out of the water and allow to cool completely on the counter top. As they cool, they will shrink.
Lightly butter six small baking dishes (like au gratin dishes). When the souffles are cool, run a knife around the inside of each ramekin, pull the mixture from the sides with your fingers and let the souffles fall upside down into the baking dishes.
Whisk the reserved white sause with the cream, bring it to a boil, and taste for seasoning. The sauce should be very light and barely thickened.
Spoon the sauce over the souffles, completely coating them and bottom of the dishes. Sprinkle the tops with the shredded Gruyere. Cover the souffles with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.
When you are ready to serve, heat the oven to 425 degrees and postion the bottom rack quite low. Uncover the souffles and set them on a baking sheet. Bake until they are puffed and browned and the sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes. If your dishes are very cold, it may take longer. Serve them immediately.
Print this recipe
Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: FINE COOKING MAGAZINE / Anne Willan
Submitted By: Carolina
mkpb@bellsouth.net
Twice-Baked Spinach Souffles