Cookbook Club Notes: Both Toni Riggi and Amanda Rizzo chose to make this recipe, and we were all so glad they did. Rich and irresistible, this is the kind of dip you’ll find you can’t keep away from. In the “chef’s notes” Emma provided to our group, she wrote, “This recipe freezes great! You can also add a wee bit of mayo to make it extra creamy!”
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 shallots
- 1 pound spinach, stemmed
- 1 pound kale, preferably black Tuscan, stemmed
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup crème fraîche
- 2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup plain dried bread crumbs
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup toasted, finely chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- ½ cup (packed) roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Finely grated Parmesian cheese (preferably grated with a Microplane grater) for garnish
Preparation
To make the dip: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and sauté until golden in color and beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and kale to the pan and allow them to wilt. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and some salt as the greens are wilting. You may need to add a bit of water, too, depending on how tough your kale is. Use tongs to lift the greens so they wilt evenly.
When the greens are completely wilted, transfer the mixture to a food processor. Add the cheese, crème fraîche, mustard, red pepper flakes and a grind or two of black pepper to the mixture in the food processor and process to a course puree. Taste the dip. You may need to add a little bit more lemon or salt to give it a yummy, rich pop. Scrape the dip into a baking dish or several small ramekins. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
To make the gremolata: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and breadcrumbs and stir and toss to coat. Toast until the crumbs are a rich golden brown. Hit the mixture with some salt and remove from the heat. Toss in the walnuts, orange zest and parsley. Set aside.
To assemble: Bake the dip until the edges are slightly browned and the juices are bubbling, about 20 minutes. About 4 minutes before its done, top it with the gremolata and brown a bit more. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then garnish with a shower of snowy Parmesan and serve warm.
