Provencal Spinach Gratin Recipes

PROVENCAL SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin and rub with a cut side of one of the garlic cloves before you chop the garlic.
• Steam the spinach above an inch of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is wilted. You will probably have to do this in batches. I like to use a pasta pot with an insert for steaming spinach, as I can get a lot of it into the insert. Rinse briefly with cold water, squeeze gently (you don't have to squeeze dry) and chop.
• In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, flour, milk and parsley. Spoon into the gratin dish in an even layer. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
• Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned and the mixture is sizzling. Serve as a starter or a side.

CLASSIC FRENCH SPINACH AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 F and butter a gratin dish.
• Sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and continue sautéing the mixture for 30 seconds. Add the salt, pepper, dried thyme, and spinach to the pan and stir until the ingredients are combined. Cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat to low. Allow the spinach to wilt for 3 minutes.
• Stir the milk and heavy cream into the spinach mixture and turn it out into the buttered gratin dish. Then stir together the melted butter, bread crumbs, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the gratin.
• Bake the spinach gratin in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until it is hot and bubbly, and the breadcrumbs have turned golden brown.

SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.
• Note: This recipe has been updated and may differ from what was originally broadcast or published.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 7 by 11-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until completely softened and cooked but not browned. Stir in the basil and thyme. Spread on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
• Toss the sliced vegetables with the remaining olive oil and salt, and pepper. With the long side of the baking dish facing you, alternate the sliced vegetables in compact upright rows on top of the onion mixture.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the vegetables are softened, about 30 to 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Continue baking until cheese begins to brown, about 20 minutes or so. Serve hot or at room temperature.
• Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

ROCK FISH AND SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, and add the spinach. Blanch for 30 seconds, and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain and squeeze dry, taking the spinach up by the handful. Chop finely, and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and add the shallot. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes, and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, for several minutes, until the mixture begins to color slightly. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the milk all at once. Return to the heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture simmers and thickens. Turn the heat to low, and simmer, stirring or whisking often, for 15 minutes. There should be no floury taste. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and stir in the garlic and a touch of nutmeg if desired. Stir in the chopped spinach. Taste, and add more salt and pepper as desired.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Place the fish fillets in a steamer above 1 inch of boiling water and steam for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. The fillets should be opaque. Break the fish into small pieces, and remove any bones.
• Spoon a thin layer of the creamed spinach over the bottom of the dish, and top with the fish in one layer. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Spoon the remaining creamed spinach over the fish. Top with the breadcrumbs. Drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes until it is sizzling and beginning to brown.

SPINACH, SARDINE AND RICE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Oil a 1 1/2 to 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Remove the sardines from the oil and separate them into fillets. Set the oil aside.
• Wilt the spinach either by steaming or blanching. To blanch bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the spinach. Blanch for no more than 20 seconds (do this in batches). Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water. If you prefer, you can wilt the spinach by steaming for about 1 minute over an inch of boiling water. Chop medium-fine.
• Heat the olive oil (not the oil from the sardines) in the skillet over medium heat and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, stir in the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, then add the chopped wilted spinach, flour, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir together for 1 minute, until everything is blended. Add the milk and cooked rice and stir together for about 1 minute, until you no longer see liquid in the pan. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
• Spread half the rice and spinach in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with the sardine fillets in one layer. Drizzle a tablespoon of the oil from the cans over the sardines, then top with the remaining rice and spinach in an even layer. Sprinkle on the breadcrumbs and drizzle on another tablespoon of the oil from the sardine cans. Place in the oven and bake 15 minutes, until sizzling. Serve hot or warm.

THREE-GREENS GRATIN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens. When the water comes to a boil salt generously and add chard. Blanch for 1 minute, until just wilted, and using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain and squeeze out excess water, taking the chard up by the handful. Chop medium-fine and set aside. You should have about 2 cups.
• Bring the water back to a boil and blanch beet greens for 1 minute; if using spinach, blanch for 20 seconds only. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine. You should have about 1 cup (less for spinach).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and add leeks. Cook, stirring, until leeks begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes, and add garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add cabbage and thyme. Cook, stirring often, until cabbage collapses in pan, about 5 minutes, and add another generous pinch of salt. Continue to cook the mixture until the cabbage is tender, sweet, and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped blanched greens and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir together for about a minute and remove from the heat.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl and add a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in rice or farro, vegetable mixture and cheeses. Scrape into prepared baking dish. If using breadcrumbs, toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle over the top. If not using breadcrumbs drizzle remaining oil over the top.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

JULIA CHILD'S PROVENçAL POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees and place a rack at the middle level. In a large saucepan, combine onions and 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir to coat over low heat. Sprinkle lightly with salt. At a gentle simmer, cook uncovered until onions are softened and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Do not brown; lower the heat if necessary. When done, fold in tomatoes just until heated through. Set aside.
• In a small food processor or a mortar, add the anchovies - anywhere from 6 to 12 fillets, depending on their size and your taste. Add garlic, herbs and a dozen grinds of pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil (or use the oil from the anchovy can, if you like). Crush or pulse together into a chunky paste, thinning with oil as needed to make a loose, fluid mixture.
• In a medium-size baking dish, spread a quarter of the onion-tomato mixture. On top, arrange half the potato slices, then half the anchovy mixture. Add half the remaining onion-tomato mixture. Build one more layer with remaining potato slices, anchovy mixture and onion-tomato mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top and drizzle with olive oil.
• If the dish is very full, place on a baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and have absorbed all of the juices in the bottom of the dish, 40 to 50 minutes. Test by tasting a bit of potato; it should be soft all the way through, with no raw taste. If the top is browning too fast, cover very loosely with a sheet of foil. If the top is not brown enough when the potatoes are cooked, broil briefly until deliciously glazed.
• Serve gratin hot or warm. Can be cooled and reheated later the same day, but do not refrigerate.