Spinach Gratin
By Diane UngerPublished on October 7, 2013
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces8 tablespoons unsalted butter 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups)Salt and pepper 1 onion, chopped fine4 garlic cloves, minced⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups half-and-half 8 ounces curly-leaf spinach, stemmed and chopped coarse1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 ½ pounds frozen whole-leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped fine½ cup minced fresh parsley 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
Before You Begin
Thaw the frozen spinach in the refrigerator overnight. Before you use it, squeeze it as dry as you can using a dish towel.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor to fine crumbs, about 10 pulses; transfer to bowl. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in microwave, about 30 seconds. Stir melted butter, ½ cup Gruyère, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper into crumbs; set aside.
- Melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in garlic and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in half-and-half and bring to simmer. Cook, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 3½ cups, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in curly-leaf spinach and cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Off heat, stir in mustard, nutmeg, 1½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1½ cups Gruyère until cheese is melted. Stir in thawed frozen spinach until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over spinach mixture. Bake until bubbling around edges and crumbs are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Combine parsley and lemon zest in bowl; sprinkle over gratin. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
- Crumb mixture can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Spinach mixture can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake gratin until hot throughout, 15 to 20 minutes, then proceed with step four.
to make ahead
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups)
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups half-and-half
8 ounces curly-leaf spinach, stemmed and chopped coarse
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 ½ pounds frozen whole-leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped fine
½ cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups)
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups half-and-half
8 ounces curly-leaf spinach, stemmed and chopped coarse
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 ½ pounds frozen whole-leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped fine
½ cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups)
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups half-and-half
8 ounces curly-leaf spinach, stemmed and chopped coarse
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 ½ pounds frozen whole-leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped fine
½ cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To turn a favorite green vegetable into a holiday gratin, we started by adapting our existing creamed spinach recipe and adding a crispy topping. But to feed a holiday crowd, it would take a mountain of fresh spinach—and lots of tedious prep. To get the flavor of fresh spinach with the ease of frozen, we wilt 8 ounces of fresh spinach in our creamy, cheesy white sauce as it cooks and then add 2½ pounds of frozen whole-leaf spinach that we squeeze dry and chop fine—this gives a better texture than prechopped frozen spinach. A topping of bread crumbs and Gruyère cheese gets crispy and brown in the oven, and a final sprinkling of parsley and lemon zest keeps the dish fresh and bright.
Before You Begin
Thaw the frozen spinach in the refrigerator overnight. Before you use it, squeeze it as dry as you can using a dish towel.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor to fine crumbs, about 10 pulses; transfer to bowl. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in microwave, about 30 seconds. Stir melted butter, ½ cup Gruyère, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper into crumbs; set aside.
- Melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in garlic and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in half-and-half and bring to simmer. Cook, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 3½ cups, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in curly-leaf spinach and cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Off heat, stir in mustard, nutmeg, 1½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1½ cups Gruyère until cheese is melted. Stir in thawed frozen spinach until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over spinach mixture. Bake until bubbling around edges and crumbs are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Combine parsley and lemon zest in bowl; sprinkle over gratin. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
- Crumb mixture can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Spinach mixture can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake gratin until hot throughout, 15 to 20 minutes, then proceed with step four.
to make ahead
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