- 8
Ingredients
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 pound fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- FOR THE ROULADE:
- 1/4 cup butter plus a little for greasing the pan
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 6 eggs, separated
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound mushrooms, minced
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups artichoke-Parmesan sauce
Preparation
Step 1
To make filling, rinse spinach well and steam until it is tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and mince in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients, combine well and set aside.
To make roulade, grease a 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Cover with wax paper and butter the wax paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan, melt the 1/4 cup butter, add flour and stir constantly, 3 or 4 minutes, until the mixture is lightly browned. Add milk all at once and whisk over low heat to form a thick cream sauce. Set aside.
Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Add cayenne, sage, nutmeg, salt and minced mushrooms, combine well and add to cream sauce.
Rinse beaters well, then beat whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold whites into sauce and pour into the prepared pan, smoothing with a spatula to make an even layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and center springs back when touched. Remove from oven and invert onto a sheet of wax paper on counter top. Peel off the baking paper, using a spatula knife if necessary.
Immediately spread spinach mixture over roulade, using a gentle touch. Roll like a jellyroll, beginning with a short end, and place, seam-side down, on a warm platter. Nap with artichoke-Parmesan sauce.
Artichoke-Parmesan Sauce
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill leaves
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 stick frozen butter, cut into 6 or 8 pieces
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Herbs, chopped chives and edible flowers for garnish
Drain and rinse artichoke hearts, squeezing them to remove excess water. Place in bowl of food processor, together with cayenne, creme fraiche and chopped dill. Process until artichokes are finely pureed. Set aside.
Bring water to boil in lower half of a double boiler. Turn heat down to just barely simmering. Have a bowl of cold water with a few ice cubes in it standing by. In top half of boiler, place egg yolks and lemon juice. Whisk slightly to combine, then place over, but not in, the barely simmering water. Stir constantly with a wire whisk. Place a piece of butter in the eggs and continue stirring until eggs are warm and butter has melted. Then add another piece of butter and continue in the same manner until all the butter is used. If eggs start to curdle, immediately plunge the top boiler in bowl of icy water, still whisking. (This is an emergency procedure to lower the temperature rapidly.) Return the top boiler to the simmering water and continue adding butter.
When all the butter has been added, sauce should be quite thick. Add grated cheese and whisk to mix well. Place boiler in icy water to reduce temperature slightly, then stir in artichoke mixture. Use this sauce to nap the mushroom roulade. May be served immediately or held for an hour or so, but do not refrigerate as it will make the sauce granular.
Serve garnished with herbs, chives and edible flowers, passing remaining sauce.
YIELD 1 1/2 to 2 cups