Spinach Roulade

Submitted by KT9791

"A beautiful dish my mother has made often and it's always been a favorite. A cheesy spinach mixture rolled up in a cheese souffle, from the famous vegetarian Greens Restaurant in San Francisco. The recipe calls for ricotta, but I'm thinking unless you use fresh ricotta there won't be much flavor in the filling. So I plan on adding a few extra ingredients to give it some more umph. Like any ricotta and spinach mixture, it's easy to add onto!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• Souffle

• 5 eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons flour
• salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

• Filling

• wild mushrooms or tomato sauce
• 2 lbs spinach
• salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1⁄4 cup light cream or 1/4 cup milk
• nutmeg
• pepper
• cream, for baking

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a 10x15 baking sheet with parchment paper. Put a few dabs of butter on the pan to help anchor the paper then lightly butter and flour the paper, knocking off any extra flour.
2. Separate the yolks and whites. Lightly beat the yolks and set them aside. Make a rue by melting the butter, add the flour, stirring constantly then whisk in milk. Cook another 3 minutes, remove from heat and add salt and pepper.
3. Gradually whisk some of the mixture into the yolks to warm them, then return everything to the pot to finish combining.
4. In a large bowl whisk or beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt (or cream of tartar) until they form smooth peaks.
5. Stir about ¼ of the whites and ½ of cheese into the milk mixture, then gently fold in the rest of the whites.
6. Pour soufflé mixture on the baking sheet spreading to all corners. Sprinkle to rest of the cheese over the surface. Bake until the top is nicely browned and puffed, about 15 minutes. Remove soufflé from the oven and let it cool. Turn over onto the counter and remove parchment paper. Use a tea towel under to help roll it later.
7. Prepare soufflé base and set aside. Wash and cook spinach, seasoned with salt. Drain. Melt butter and cook onion. Squeeze water out of spinach and chop finely. Add to onions. Cook another few minutes.
8. Thin ricotta with enough milk until soft and pliable and season with nutmeg and pepper. Preheat the oven to 400. Spread the ricotta over the soufflé and top with spinach. (This is where I plan on adding a bit more. Likely basil, gruyere cheese, sundried tomato and toasted pine nuts.).
9. Roll the soufflé, short end first. Transfer to a greased baking sheet, end down to prevent unrolling. Brush the top with cream. Bake lightly covered for 25 minutes
10. To serve, ladle sauce on plate and set sliced piece over sauce.