Spinach Pie recipe
I don’t know when it took hold, but le Brunch has become popular in Paris. Unlike the Bloody Mary and Mimosa-fueled repasts we had when I lived in San Francisco, in Paris, the concept is a little different. For one thing, Sundays are blissfully “sacred” and no one seems to want to wake up and go anywhere until — well, Monday. And the places that do serve brunch are very crowded with revelers who probably didn’t get to bed the previous evening.
Add to that, the concept of le clipboard hasn’t taken hold here, so when you’re waiting at a restaurant that doesn’t take reservations, you need to be eagle-eyed and extra vigilant because if you don’t, someone will easily slide right in front of you and grab your spot without a second thought. My partner Romain, is very, very good at keeping his eye on who’s in front, although he’s even better at sliding in front of the others himself. Hey, if you can’t beat ’em…
For those of us who don’t want to wait in a line of chain-smoking bobos (Parisian hipsters) on a Sunday morning, this Spinach Pie is very easy to make with just a few ingredients. In fact, you can even make the mixture beforehand, refrigerate it, and bake it off the next day.
Spinach can be quite gritty, especially if you buy it directly from a farmer, as I like to do. So I recommend that you triple-wash it.
This is an excellent dish for vegetarians and can be served with a big green salad. For those who want meat, I like to serve it with slices of country or boiled ham alongside. Because it has no crust, a loaf of bread makes it a more complete meal, along with a bottle of vin blanc.
Spinach Pie
- 2 medium leeks, (or two onions, diced, or 1 bunch of scallions, minced)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) butter, salted or unsalted
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 pounds (900g) fresh spinach, stemmed and triple-washed
- big pinch of chile pepper or cayenne
- whole nutmeg
- 2 cups (500ml) whole milk
- 6 large eggs
- Parmesan cheese
- Trim away the very dark green part of the leeks. Slice each leek lengthwise, rotate them a quarter turn, then slice them lengthwise again, keeping the end intact. Swish the leeks in a bowl of water until they’re grit-free, then towel dry. Chop into small pieces. (If substituting onions or scallions, prepare them as directed in the ingredient list.)
- Melt the butter in a deep skillet or shallow pot that has a lid and sauté the leeks with a little salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until they’re translucent. While the leeks are cooking, cut the spinach into smaller pieces.
- Once the leeks are cooked, begin adding the spinach in batches, replacing the lid until the spinach in the pan has cooked down, and there's room to add more. Season lightly with salt and pepper as you go, and include a big pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and chile powder during the final batch.
- When all the spinach has wilted and most of the juices have evaporated, transfer it to a bowl or platter and let cool. Stirring it a few times will speed it up.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Liberally butter a round or rectangular baking dish with high sides, with a capacity of at least 2 quarts (2l).
- Working in batches, puree the cooked spinach mixture with the milk and eggs until almost smooth with a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Grate a layer of Parmesan over the top and bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife poked into the center comes out clean.
