An elegant presentation of spinach that can be made a day ahead and reheated in the oven in a bain-marie just before they are needed. Serve it with rings of roasted Delicata squash and drizzle with a light simple syrup spiked with Meyer lemon juice.
INGREDIENTS:
2 green garlic stalks, white part only, sliced finely*
1 bunch (2 cups packed) spinach, thick stems removed, thoroughly washed
2 cups heavy whipping cream, preferably not ultra-pasteurized
Around 1 teaspoon salt, Diamond Crystal kosher preferred**
½ teaspoon white pepper, finely ground**
4 large fresh eggs
Flavorful extra virgin olive oil for garnish if you wish
Meyer lemon for squeezing juice for garnish if you wish
Butter as needed
Special Equipment-six 6 ounce ramekins/soufflé/custard cups
METHOD:
Gently sauté the green garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until completely cooked, but do not allow them to color. When done, place in a small sieve/strainer and allow to drain and cool. Save the butter used to cook for making scrambled eggs or using in some dish that wants a little butter flavor (For a fun amuse bouche, make popcorn with this garlic butter and a little pepper.).
Heat the oven to 325°F, and place the shelf in the center of the oven. While oven heats, butter the ramekins and set them into a 9×13 baking pan-metal preferably, but Pyrex will work.
Prepare an ice bath that will hold a 3-4 cup metal bowl.
Bring cream to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, pull from heat and add spinach, salt, and pepper into the cream and give a quick stir. Once spinach has wilted a fair amount, around 1 minute or so, transfer ingredients to the metal bowl and place in the ice bath, being sure not to let any water into the bowl. Stir the cream and spinach to quickly cool. (This helps set a bright color and prevents the spinach getting watery, preserving flavor.)
Put the cooled cream mixture into a blender along with the eggs, and the cooked green garlic. Blend until the vegetables are thoroughly puréed and the custard is thoroughly smooth. Divide the purée evenly between the ramekins.
Transfer the pan with the ramekins to the extended oven shelf. Pour hot (hot, not boiling!) water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. A tea kettle with a long spout is best for this, or any spouted vessel with a lid. It is easier to control flow and not splash water into the ramekins. Slide the shelf in carefully trying not to splash or slop the custard around.
Cook custards for around 50-55 minutes, turning the pan once after 30 minutes, until the custards are just set. To tell if they are ready, give one a little jiggle. It should be mostly set, with a little area in the center that is still very slightly mobile. The custards are done when the sides seem firm and the center area moves only a little, but is no longer liquid. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
To serve, use a thin sharp bladed knife and run it around the sides to loosen the sformati, then turn them onto plates. Drizzle with a little oil and lemon juice if you wish and serve.
To make these ahead of time: make a day or two prior to needing, allow to cool in the bain-marie, then dry off the ramekins and cover and place in the refrigerator. To reheat, cook uncovered two at a time in the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power. To check if they are ready, slip a thin bladed knife or metal skewer into the center of a custard, wait a few seconds, then carefully apply to just below the lower lip. That will give you a good idea of the internal temp. Adjust time as needed.
Chef’s Tips: *If green garlic is not in season, roast 2-3 fat cloves of garlic in a 400°F oven for 10-20 minutes until the garlic is soft inside its jacket. Squeeze this out and mash and use in lieu of the green garlic. Add to the cream when you add the spinach and proceed as above. **This is probably the only time besides baking where I specify an amount for salt and pepper, but sometimes “to taste” will just be too hard to figure out, and you actually need a specified amount at times like this. Tasting the raw custard won’t help, and might not be good for you either. If you want to spruce this dish up, serve it with rings of roasted Delicata squash and make a simple syrup (1:1 ratio) incorporating Myer lemon juice and maybe a little zest without any pith added to the syrup. The ratio would be 1:1/2:1/2 sugar, water, lemon juice.
Yield: 6 custards
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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