Beautiful spinach and shiitake mushrooms in the שוק איכרים (farmers' market) today. Thought immediately of making a soufflé. Then it dawned on me that a soufflé requires béchamel sauce, which in turn requires flour - a no no on Pesach. So I followed my mother's rule of thumb - "If you can't use flour, use matzoh meal. If matzoh meal is too coarse, use cake meal. If cake meal is too heavy, use potato starch." Thus was born my flourless soufflé.
BT's Flourless Spinach And Mushroom Soufflé For Passover
Ingredients:
1 bunch tender new spinach
4 large shiitake mushrooms
2 shallots
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
5 eggs
2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 cup (~150 grams) grated gruyère cheese
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon thyme
sprinkle of peperoncino flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
Directions:
Thoroughly wash spinach and place in sieve that easily fits inside a mixing bowl
Place sieve inside bowl
Boil water and pour over spinach and leave to soak to par boil
When spinach is very bright green remove sieve from bowl and let drain
Finely chop shallots and garlic
Add 1 tablespoon butter to heavy gauge cocotte
Turn flame to medium
When butter is melted at shallots and garlic
Sauté for 2 minutes
Add a couple of grinds of black pepper and peperoncino flakes
Heat milk in saucepan over low flame until tepid
Remove from heat
Add second tablespoon of butter to pot
When butter is melted add potato starch - this is the roux
Cook roux on low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly
Pour 1/3 of tepid milk into roux and whisk briskly to prevent lumps
When roux is thoroughly incorporated, add remainder of milk
Turn flame up to medium and stir while sauce thickens
Test sauce - if it coats the back of a spoon evenly, it is done
Add cheese and stir
Squeeze excess water from spinach, then chop and add to sauce
Add nutmeg
Remove saucepan from heat and let cool
In a separate fry pan add olive oil
Bring flame to medium high
Rough chop mushrooms
When oil is hot, add mushrooms
Leave in place for one minute
Toss mushroom, add a sprinkle of salt and thyme
Separate yolks from whites
Add egg yolks one at a time to sauce and stir after each one
Add salt to egg whites
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry
Fold egg whites into sauce
Pour into buttered round baking dish - you can line it with paper if desired
Bake at 350 F. (175 C.) for 45 minutes
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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