Normally, when C & I entertain, we do really elaborate dinner parties - like 5 or 6 courses, wines paired with each course, etc. This past weekend, we did brunch for 6 for the first time.
It was really incredibly fun, and everything was easily put together early. That meant that we were both so much more relaxed than when we have dinner parties.
The Menu:
- Orange, Pomelo & Satsuma Salad, dressed with orange blossom water and sugared mint.
- An assortment of pastries including Lemon Currant Scones, croissants, baguettes & morning buns served with Plugra butter, Bonne Maman blackberry jelly & homemade apricot preserves.
- Strata of Prosciutto, Spinach, Chard and Gruyere, served with an Arugula & Mixed Greens Salad dressed lightly with good balsamico & olive oil.
- Yogurt & Mascarpone "50/50", dressed with creamed honey, spiced pecans & roasted pears.
Click below to see the recipes... pictures to follow tomorrow (they are on C's camera, which is currently somewhere either in Philly or Manhattan)
Spinach, Chard & Prosciutto Strata
- 1 larg onion, diced
- 2 large bunches fresh spinach
- 1 bunch red chard
- freshly grated nutmeg (to taste)
- 2 small loaves ciabatta bread (I used Il Fornaio parbaked from Trader Joes)
- 6 oz coarsely grated Gruyère
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 5-6 slices prosciutto
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 12 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
In a couple of tablespoons unsalted butter and a large dutch oven, sweat the onions until translucent, but not caramelized. Add the prosciutto, cooking a few minutes longer. Finally, add the spinach & chard, with a couple tbsp of water or broth and cover, reducing heat to wilt the greens. Season with salt, pepper & nutmeg to taste. Meanwhile, cube the bread into 1" pieces.
In a 12" pan or casserole around 1.5" tall (I used my paella pan), start layering the ingredients, starting with the bread. Add a layer of the greens mixture, then a layer of cheese. I was able to fit two layers into my pan.
Next, whisk together the milk, eggs & mustard. Season to taste, adding a bit more nutmeg if you like that sort of thing. Pour the custard over the stuff in the pan, and press down on everything to help the bread absorb.
Important: the strata now needs to rest for eight hours (or, in my case overnight) in the fridge.
Pull the strata out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking. It goes into a 400 degree oven for about 45 - 55 minutes until it's puffed, browned and the custard has mostly set. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before cutting.
This got RAVE reviews - and it makes an amazing dinner with a side salad the next night!
