Description
Vermont cheddar and spinach are winter staples, and baked together into a custard is the ultimate comfort food for a winter menu. The eggy custard is nicely seasoned with a small grating of nutmeg, and easily adapted to include sautéed shallots or softened mushroom. This custard is pure comfort food for all ages, and an elegant way to eat your greens.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon softened butter
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
½ cup Gruyere cheese
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously butter four 8-ounce ramekins. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook just until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse the spinach under cold water. When it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess moisture a handful at a time; chop coarsely. You should have about 1 cup chopped spinach.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and yolks until well combined. Stir in the cooked spinach, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Ladle or pour equal quantities of the custard into the prepared ramekins and place them in a roasting pan.
Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the custard is set when given a slight shake or when a sharp knife inserted comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and let stand for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of each ramekin and invert on separate plates to unmold. Serve hot.