Spinach Catalana with Polenta and Soft Boiled Egg

Daria Souvorova

20 minutes
serves: 5-6

We have been eating less meat of late, and when I realized I forgot a few pounds of spinach in the back of the fridge, I decided to salvage it by cooking it. I have been reading about Catalan Spinach, which is a quick dish of fresh spinach cooked with whole garlic cloves, pine nuts and raisins. I decided to give the dish a try. I found I liked it better with a splash of balsamic vinegar, so this is my version. We added a soft boiled egg and some slivers of Parmesan to make the meal a bit heartier.

I have been really excited about polenta lately, so I am constantly thinking of new and exciting ways to use it. Polenta is so filling in the winter and so incredibly easy to make, I am obsessed! You can buy “polenta” in beautifully decorated baggies or boxes for $6 to serve four, or you can stroll to the international market and buy a couple pounds of Semolina for a dollar or two. I choose the latter.

To be honest, I didn’t really research how to make polenta, I just decided to give it a go. I wanted something a bit richer and creamier, so I used milk instead of water to cook the polenta. I also added a bit of chicken stock concentrate to make the flavor even richer. It turned out delicious! Now I can’t stop making it! Not in the mood for spinach tonight? Try some of the other dishes I have been pairing with polenta like my Civet of Venison with Porcini or my Chanterelle and Porcini Stew! Delicious!

Ingredients:

• • • 4 tablespoons olive oil plus more for polenta
    • 8 cloves garlic, smashed
    • 1 cup golden raisins
    • 1/3 cup pine nuts
    • 4 pounds baby spinach
    • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
    • 6 cups milk
    • 3 teaspoons chicken stock concentrate
    • salt and pepper
    • 1 1/2 cups polenta, either fine or coarse ground
    • 6 eggs
    • 1/4 cup of shaved Parmesan or so to serve

   

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2. For the spinach, heat oil and sauté garlic for 1 minute or so.
   Add golden raisins and pine nuts. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and a bit golden.
   Add spinach, cook until fully wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
   Drizzle balsamic vinegar and mix to combine
3. Meanwhile, boil water and cook eggs for exactly 6 minutes. Run under cold water to stop cooking.
4. For the polenta, combine milk and chicken stock concentrate and bring to just before simmer.
5. Add a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the semolina and begin stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting.
7. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes, the mixture will thicken and start to bubble. Be careful, as bubbles can be quite feisty, I received a blob of hot polenta on my forehead!
8. Once thickened to your likeness, season with salt and pepper to taste. Now is a good moment to sprinkle in some truffle zest or grated cheese or what have you!
   Drizzle with olive oil.
9. Serve polenta topped with spinach and egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan.