Alice Waters’ Warm Spinach Salad

Despite being inundated with CSA greens, I found myself returning from the co-op this week with Wellington’s spinach, a big bag of emerald green, crinkly and craggy leaves. I couldn’t resist.

I had a recipe in mind, too, a warm spinach salad I had made years ago, which I had forgotten about, but whose method I love. No surprise, it comes from Chez Panisse Vegetables and calls for gently wilting the spinach in a stainless steel bowl set over simmering water. Cool, right?

Last time, I made it Catalan-style, replacing the bacon and toasted breadcrumbs with pine nuts and raisins. What was I thinking? Bacon and breadcrumbs make everything better. Am I right? Am I right?

Have a wonderful weekend, Everyone.

PS: Sorry the site has been up and down this week. I’ve been making some changes — things should be faster now — and I’ve been reorganizing the categories and how they display: salads, pizza, on the side, bread, breakfast, desserts, chicken, etc. All of these categories can be found under Recipes in the menu up at the top.

Alice Waters’ Warm Spinach Salad
Yield = 2

Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables:

2 to 3 eggs
1 shallot, minced
vinegar, white balsamic, sherry, etc. — whatever you have
pinch salt
pinch sugar
olive oil to taste
2 T. olive oil
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs*
bacon — about four slices, diced
Spinach* — forgot to look how much (a big bag, maybe a 1/2 pound?)

*I used Wellington’s spinach, which you can find at the Niskayuna Co-op — so good. CPV notes that medium, slightly more substantial leaves are better for this salad than very delicate tiny ones.

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Simmer eggs for 9 minutes, then cool in cold water till serving time.

2. Meanwhile, marinate shallot in vinegar with a pinch of salt and sugar for 10 minutes. Whisk in olive oil to taste, keeping the dressing rather sharp — a 2:1 oil-to-vinegar ratio is good here.

3. Meanwhile, make the breadcrumbs: heat the 2 T. olive oil in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp and golden brown (about 5 minutes). Be careful not to burn them.

4. Meanwhile, fry the bacon until crisp. Save the rendered fat for another use.

5. Wash and lightly dry the spinach leaves. Place them in a large stainless steel bowl and toss lightly with some of the dressing. Mix in bacon and breadcrumbs and season with pepper. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water and toss continually with tongs while the salad heats. Use a towel to grip the bowl. Remove when the leaves are just wilted and serve immediately.

6. Peel and quarter eggs, season with salt and pepper, and serve with salad.

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