Spinach Bites with crème fraîche
I must admit, I'm yet to try this recipe myself, but am planning on doing so on Christmas eve, as it looks a great little starter. I've taken it from the Albert Heijn recipe collection, so for those of you who prefer the Dutch version, check it out here. A simple but classy starter, this one adds a nice italian twist to your Christmas celebrations.
Makes: 20, Preparation & Cooking: 15mins
Makes: 20, Preparation & Cooking: 15mins
Ingredients
- 600g baby spinach leaves
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 50 g Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
- 1 cup (15 g) fresh Basil leaves chopped
- 100 g white bread, crumbled
- 6 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 cup crème fraîche (125 ml)
Preparation
- Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 2 min. Drain and press with a spoon to remove as much moisture as possible. Chop finely.
- Grate the entire lemon rind and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Mix the lemon rind, spinach, ricotta, eggs, Pecorino Romano, half the basil, breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Shape the mix into 20 round 'bites' with damp hands.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the spinach bites on medium heat for 4 minutes or until golden, turning them over hanlway through. Take them out of the frying pan, and allow them to drain on kitchen paper.
- Meanwhile, mix the crème fraîche with the rest of the basil and add a small amount of lemon juice to taste.
- Serve the biscuits warm or at room temperature with the crème fraîche dipping sauce.