Creamy spinach with roast potatoes and and egg: Spinat mit Spiegelei

This used to be one of my favourite dishes when I was a child: so much so that I even dressed up as it for our carnival parties... here's the proof! It is also a dish that has become closely linked to the Thursday before Easter, which in Austria is goes by the name of "Gründonnerstag". Upon investigation it appears that it wasn't to reflect our culinary traditions that this day was called "Green Thursday", but a closer look at its ethymology reveals that in Old German, as well as in some Austrian dialects nowadays, "greinen" means "to groan, to weep, to mourn" and this is where the name for the day of the Last Supper originates. Falsely interpreted, it soon became tradition to bring out green ornaments in Church as well as eat something green - herbs, salad, but more traditionally spinach. Similar to advent, my family used to observe the Easter traditions carefully - we had to give something up for lent (back then it was most likely to be sweets, nowadays, I give up beetroot ;-)) and this would be pretty much be the last real meal before the real fasting began which lasted until the early hours on Easter Sunday (or very late the day before for us kids). Maybe that's how I've come to like it so much!!!
I should have thought about posting this in the Easter week, but might as well serve it up now: not long now before spinach season, with the first field-grown baby spinach arriving at our stalls in late spring, early summer.
Most people don't make this from scratch, but usually buy the blocks of spinach puréed and frozen at the supermarket to only add the finshing touches (garlic, sour cream etc). It's incredibly easy to make, though, and tastes so much better. To achieve a real thick and creamy spinach, you prepare a béchamel sauce as a base, then add the blanched/steamed leaves, purée and season to taste. This can be served as an accompaniment, especially with Tafelspitz (recipe at end of post), but it's just a scrumptuous eaten on its own.

Creamy spinach with roast potatoes and and fried egg
(serves 4)

For the creamy spinach:
20 g butter
flour
milk
salt, pepper, nutmeg
1 tbsp sour cream (optional)

For the potatoes:
25 g butter
500 g waxy potatoes (Charlotte, for example)
1 onion (thinly sliced)
sald, pepper, ground caraway seeds (optional)

4 eggs (optional)

Cook the potatoes in their skin until soft, but still firm (ca. 30 minutes, depending on their size). Peel them, cut them into 1cm slices and set aside.
Prepare the béchamel: In a thick-based non-stick pan, melt the butter. Take off the heat, then stir in as much flour as necessary to from a thick paste that will hold its shape. Back on the oven, use a whisk to gradually incorporate the milk. Do this in smaller batches, waiting each time until the sauce has thickened properly. You want a rich, creamy sauce, quite thick, but not dry.
Return your attention to the potatoes. Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan, add the onion and sauté until soft and starting to brown. Add the potatoes and cook until brown and crisp, turning and folding continuously so they don't burn. Season with salt, pepper and caraway seeds, if using.
In the meantime, blanch or steam the spinach, drain and put in with the béchamel. Purée with a hand-held blender, season and keep warm.
When ready to serve, re-heat the spinach, stirring in the sour cream, if using, and fry the eggs in a little oil in the pan. Make sure the white is cooked through, but the yolk still soft and runny.

Comments

[angelika]

How funny. That's what children usually do NOT like (and spit around...). But I agree with you that when it is made from fresh baby leaf spinache it's something irrestible. By the way, we have just enjoyed your fabulous Fischgröst'l (again), will post about it soon. Have a nice evening and a good start into the new week, angelika

[Alanna]

I love learning about the food traditions associated with certain days ... thanks for adding this one!

[Tanna]

Spinach and eggs! Wonderfully good...Thanks for another variation!

[Nandita]

Two coincidences Johanna! Even i made a spinach n eggs combo for sunday breakfast- and secondly even I have a cracked left toe nail- but since 2nd Standard, wen a heavy weight gal stood on my nail for a whole minute , in a crowded school bus ;)

I loved that meme...good no one tagged me with it, i would have been stumped

[Pamela]

Brilliant photo, great dish!

I always wondered where the name Gründonnerstag originated.

[Dianka]

Looks wonderful, the perfect breakfast! Yum!

~Dianka
http://na-zdravi.blogspot.com/

[mae]

I love spinach in any form. Though preferrably cooked - not much for the salad. Creamed spinach is so yummy and goes with almost anything! [well, i pair it with anything... anyway].