SPINACH SOUFFLE
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound spinach
1/4 cup chopped fennel bulb
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
3 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare and cook spinach as directed. Place spinach in
blender or food processor. Cover and blend, or process,
until mixture is smooth. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter
4-cup souffle dish or 1-quart casserole. Heat margarine in
1-1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat until melted. Stir
in flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly,
until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl on high
speed until stiff and dry. Beat egg yolks in medium bowl
on high speed until very thick and lemon colored. Stir into
white sauce mixture. Stir in spinach. Stir about one-fourth
of the egg whites into sauce mixture. Fold into remaining
egg whites. Carefully pour into souffle dish. Bake 50 to 60
minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and
edge comes out clean. Carefully remove foil band and
quickly divide souffle into servings with 2 forks. Serve
immediately
Yield: 4 servings
FRESH SPINACH KNOW-HOWS:
Some varieties of spinach have flat, smooth leaves, others
have thick, crinkly leaves, but they're all best when young
and tender.
Check the stem to gauge tenderness and age. A thin, flexible
stem indicates a tender, young plant. Choose these spinach
leaves for salads or recipes where the spinach is served raw.
Thick, fibrous stems mean more mature, tougher plants, which
are best suited for cooking.
Shop for crisp, bright green leaves with no dark, bruised
patches or yellowing. I like to buy loose leaves or bunches
so I can judge their quality. Store fresh spinach in a dry
plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper, where it will keep
for two to three days.
Spinach stems, even of some young leaves, are fibrous, stringy,
and difficult to eat, especially after cooking. Remove the
stems before washing; discard them or save them to add to a
vegetable stock. I don't bother removing the stems from truly
tender, small leaves with equally tender, thin stems.
Notoriously sandy, spinach must be washed carefully. After
following the directions in the photo below, taste a leaf.
If you detect even the slightest bit of grit, wash the
leaves again.
To remove the stem from a spinach leaf, fold the leaf in
half along the spine, grasp the bottom of the stem and tear
toward the tip of the leaf.
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