Sformato di Spinaci con Fonduta

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-cup charlotte mold or straight-sided soufflé dish
• •Large roasting pan for water bath
• •Double boiler or heatproof bowl over saucepan
• •Clean kitchen towels for squeezing spinach

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the spinach

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until completely wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain immediately and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the color. When cool, lift the spinach by handfuls and squeeze with all your strength. Squeeze again. Then squeeze once more. Every drop of water you leave behind will ruin the texture of your sformato. The spinach should compress into a tight, dry ball.

   The squeezing cannot be overdone. Wrap the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and twist until your arms tire. Wet spinach makes a wet sformato, and a wet sformato will not unmold.
2. 2

   Chop and sauté the spinach

   Chop the squeezed spinach finely. In a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped spinach and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Any remaining moisture will evaporate. The spinach should be dry and separate, not clumped. Season lightly with salt. Set aside to cool.

3. 3

   Make the béchamel

   In a heavy saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. The mixture should bubble gently but not brown. Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Prepare the mold

   Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a 6-cup charlotte mold, soufflé dish, or straight-sided baking dish. Butter the bottom, butter the sides, then butter them again. Dust lightly with flour, tapping out the excess. Set a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.

5. 5

   Assemble the sformato

   In a large bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Gradually stir in the warm béchamel, whisking constantly so the eggs do not scramble. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir until incorporated. Fold in the cooled spinach, distributing it evenly throughout. Taste for seasoning. The mixture should be well seasoned; it will seem slightly bland when cold but will be correct when warm.

6. 6

   Bake in water bath

   Pour the mixture into the prepared mold. Set the mold in a larger baking pan and place in the oven. Carefully pour the boiling water into the outer pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the mold. Bake until the sformato is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the very center, 45 to 50 minutes. A knife inserted near the center should come out clean. Remove the mold from the water bath and let rest for 10 minutes.

   The water bath, called a bagnomaria, ensures gentle, even heat. Without it, the eggs cook too quickly at the edges while the center remains raw. Do not skip this step.
7. 7

   Soak the Fontina

   While the sformato bakes, prepare the fonduta. Place the cubed Fontina in a bowl and cover with the milk. Let it soak at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. The cheese will soften and begin to absorb the milk. This makes it melt smoothly.

8. 8

   Make the fonduta

   Set a heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water. Add the Fontina with its soaking milk. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon as the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. When smooth, remove from heat briefly. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl, then stir a spoonful of the warm cheese mixture into the yolks to temper them. Add the tempered yolks to the cheese, stirring constantly. Return to the gentle heat and stir until the sauce thickens enough to coat the spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. The fonduta must not boil or the eggs will curdle.

   True Fontina from Valle d'Aosta, marked with the Matterhorn stamp, melts into silk. Swedish or Danish 'fontina' will not behave the same way. Seek out the real thing.
9. 9

   Finish the fonduta

   Remove the fonduta from heat. Whisk in the cold butter pieces, one at a time, until each is incorporated. The butter adds gloss and richness. Season with a pinch of salt and white pepper if needed. The sauce should be pourable but not thin. Keep warm over the hot water, off the heat, while you unmold the sformato.

10. 10

    Unmold and serve

    Run a thin knife around the edge of the sformato. Place a warm serving plate over the mold, then invert them together with confidence. Lift away the mold. The sformato should release cleanly, standing tall and pale green. Spoon the warm fonduta over the top, letting it cascade down the sides. Serve immediately, cutting into wedges at the table. The contrast of the verdant custard and the golden sauce is part of the pleasure.

Chef Tips

• •The sformato can be baked in individual ramekins for an elegant first course. Reduce the baking time to 25 to 30 minutes and check early. Each guest receives their own, unmolded onto a pool of fonduta.
• •If you cannot find true Fontina Val d'Aosta, Taleggio makes an acceptable substitute for the fonduta, though the flavor will be different. Do not use the rubbery cheeses sold as fontina in American supermarkets.
• •A few shavings of white truffle over the finished dish transforms this into something transcendent. This is traditional in Piedmont during truffle season. But the dish is complete without it.

Advance Preparation

• •The spinach can be blanched, squeezed, and sautéed up to one day ahead. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped. Bring to room temperature before using.
• •The Fontina can soak in milk, refrigerated, for up to 8 hours. This actually improves the texture of the finished fonduta.
• •The assembled sformato can be refrigerated, unbaked, for up to 4 hours. Add 10 minutes to the baking time if starting cold.
• •The baked sformato can rest in its mold for up to 20 minutes before unmolding. It will stay warm and actually unmolds more easily.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)