SPINACH PUDDING WITH PARMIGIANO SAUCE

This sformato (pudding ) is an extremely simple but elegant way to create a main course which is quite unusual and tasty. In the Italian tradition, there is a rich collection of this kind of dish, made with vegetables and cheeses, or rice and pasta and complemented sauces.

Spinach pudding is an excellent escamotage to make people who do not love vegetables to enjoy them. I have always loved the combination of Spinach sautè in a pan with butter and then enriched by a generous sprinkle of Parmesan. In my family, it was a way to make us respect the prohibition of eating meat on Friday and we cooked eggs with the spinach. Fundamentally, these are the same ingredients, but the presentation is much nicer.

This spinach pudding is ideal for vegetarians or guest who follow a gluten-free diet if you remember to replace the normal flour of the sauce with a gluten-free one.

Ingredients for the puddings

  • 2,5 oz. (80 g.) grated Parmigiano
  • 17 oz. (500 g.) frozen spinach
  • 1 oz. (30 g). pine nuts
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly milled black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Butter and breadcrumbs for the ramequins

Ingredients for the  Parmigiano sauce

  • 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons (25 gr.) 00 flour
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g.) butter
  • 1 oz. (30 g.) grated Parmesan

Instructions for the puddings

Cook the raw spinach in a large pot of salted boiling water until just cooked through, about 1 minute. If using frozen spinach, let defrost, or microwave.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked spinach in small batches to a sieve. Use the sieve to squeeze ALL the water out of the spinach by pushing the spinach against the sieve.

In a frying pan, fry the garlic clove in the oil until the garlic is golden. Discard the garlic and sauté the spinach in the flavored oil.

Place spinach and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse. Add the other ingredients. Make sure the spinach is in tiny pieces and the mixture is thoroughly combined.

Carefully spread the ramequins with butter, line with breadcrumbs, and pour the mix to three quarters fill the ramequins.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F – 200C for 30 minutes.

Instructions for the  Parmigiano sauce

In a small pot, melt the butter and add the flour and salt. When your roux is golden add the warm milk (not boiled) and mix with a whisk. Bring to a simmer and thicken for 5-6 minutes, constantly mixing with a whisk. Take the pot off the stove and add gradually the Parmesan, whisking until the cheese is perfectly melted. Your sauce is ready to complement the pudding.



SEA POTAGE, A LACTOSE-FREE CREATION

Usually “potage” and “sea” contradict each other. This recipe is connected to “land” ingredients like potatoes, leeks, and a lot of fresh cream.

I created this recipe when trying to exalt Autumn vegetables, and trying to propose something healthy but extremely stimulating. I have always been inspired by French cuisine, but the recipe of the normal potage sounded really a bit too rich with all that cream. I decided to keep potatoes and leeks, add squash and a good fish stock and prawns, and I have to admit that it is very appreciated.

This encounter of fresh ingredients, poor in calories and rich in vitamins and fibers, is an excellent way to taste an unusual dish, light but full of taste.

In Italy, there are other dishes, mainly first courses, that enhance squash, like butternut squash gnocchi, the Ferrara squash ravioli, the Mantua ravioli. This vegetable is wonderful and versatile, rich in fibers, minerals and increases the sensation of fullness, helping a lot for the diets.

While in traditional Italian first courses squash is processed and squeezed, here the labor is extremely reduced; the addition of prawns and chili pepper balances the sweet note of squash and leeks.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. (500 gr.) potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 24 oz. (750 gr.) butternut squash, deseeded, peeled, and cut into chunks
  • 2 leeks, only the white part finely sliced
  • 18 prawns with heads and shells
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (120 ml) dry white wine
  • 1 small carrot, cut into chunks
  • 1 small onion, cut into chunks
  • ½ small celery stalk
  • 4 grains black pepper
  • Sea salt
  • 2 cups (500 ml.) water
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pinch chili pepper

Instructions

Prepare the stock simmering in a pot with the heads and shells of the prawns, vegetables, pepper, salt, water and wine for 30 minutes.

In a pot, sautè the leeks with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Then add the squash, potatoes and the filtered stock and boil for almost an hour; check the salt and season, eventually.

When the soup is cooked, mix the soup using an immersion blender, making a silky velouté.

In a non-stick pan, pour the oil and sauté the garlic clove in it. Discard the garlic and sauté the prawns, when they are roasted add the wine. Season with chili and salt.

After the wine has evaporated, pour the soup in the bowls and add 3 prawns for each serving.

 

 



RABBIT TUNA

Tuna and rabbit, together? Why this odd name?

A legend says that in 19th century the rules about fasting were particularly strict, and the friars in a convent of Avigliana, near Turin, decided to circumvent them by baptising their chickens and rabbits and calling them ‘tuna’ in order to eat them without sinning.

In spite of its country origin and simplicity, it is an elegant and delicious dish, perfect in every season, but particularly appreciated in summer. It was created in Piedmont, in a time where even the most modest families had barnyard animals and because it was necessary to find a way to preserve their meat, given there were no freezers, they started imitating the techniques used for tuna.

Rabbit meat is white and light, perfect for kids and all those who want or need to be careful with red meats. It is healthy and delicious – far from the sadness of eating kale or other depressing vegetables.

RABBIT TUNA

  • 1 (3-lb) rabbit carcass, cleaned with no head
  • 4-5 stems of fresh sage
  • 2 bulbs of garlic
  • sea salt and pepper for seasoning
  • 1 bottle delicate olive oil, possibly Ligurian (extra virgin)

For the broth

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 cup light dry white wine
  • 70 fl. oz. water
  • 4-5 black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4-5 fresh basil leaves
  • 1 stem fresh thyme
  • 3 stems of fresh parsley
  • 2 cloves
  1. Prepare an aromatic broth with basil, peppercorns, celery, onion, carrot, rosemary, bay leaves, cloves, salt, parsley, wine, and water. Let it simmer for 30 minutes and then carefully place the rabbit in the broth.
  2. Cook for 90 minutes, letting it simmer until the meat comes off the bones.
  3. In the meanwhile, wash and dry the sage leaves and clean the cloves of garlic.
  4. Take the rabbit out of the broth and when it is at room temperature bone it by hand, removing the smallest bones and gristle (cartilage). As you do it, season the meat with marine salt and freshly grounded black pepper.
  5. Prepare 4 small jars or a container, pour a bit of oil, add some meat, a clove of garlic, a couple of sage leaves, more oil, meat, garlic and sage and so on until the jar is full. Finish the last layer with garlic, sage and ¼ inch oil.
  6. Wait 2 days before serving it so the flavours have the time to blend beautifully.
  7. Serving suggestion: I highly recommend steaming 3-4 potatoes, slicing and seasoning them, and serving rabbit pieces on them with its aromatic oil.
  8. The jars can be preserved like this for a week, or frozen.

Filter the broth and freeze in 2-3 jars, it is excellent for rabbit stews or rabbit paella.