g VEGETABLES g CONTENTS
Raisins bring a touch of sweetness to the spinach, which can be bitter, while butter introduces a mellow flavor, giving a perfect balance. The pine nuts add crunch. Serve with grilled meats.
Serves 4
10 oz (300 g) fresh spinach
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tbsp (30 g) butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
11⁄2 oz (45 g) pine nuts, toasted
1 oz (30 g) raisins (preferably crimson raisins)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Wash and drain the spinach; trim off the tough stalks and coarsely shred the leaves (see Prepare the spinach for stir-frying).
2. Heat a large, deep-sided, nonstick frying pan or wok over high heat until very hot. Pour in the oil and heat until very hot. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium, and stir-fry for a few minutes until softened and tinged a light golden brown.
3. Add the butter and garlic and stir to mix with the onion. When the butter has melted, throw a large handful of the spinach into the pan. Toss until the spinach leaves wilt, then add the remaining spinach in handfuls and keep stir-frying until all the spinach is in the pan. This whole process should take about 5 minutes in total.
4. Reduce the heat and toss in the pine nuts and raisins, plus salt and pepper to taste. Stir-fry for another minute or so, just to heat through the nuts and raisins, then transfer the contents of the pan to a warmed serving dish and serve at once.
STIR-FRIED SPINACH WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS
KEYS TO PERFECTION
Prepare the spinach for stir-frying
1 Plunge the spinach into cold water in a large bowl or sink and swish the water around to get rid of grit. Drain in a colander, but not too thoroughly, as the leaves should still have a little water clinging to them for stir-frying.
2 Pick over the leaves and discard any that are discolored. If the leaves are young, the stalks should be thin enough to stir-fry, but thick stalks should be removed as they will not soften down in the short cooking time.
3 Working a batch at a time, put a mound of spinach on a board. Using a chef’s knife, slice across the leaves to coarsely shred them. The shreds should be 1⁄2–3⁄4in (1–2cm) wide. Repeat for the remaining batches.