Spanakorizo
This is a dish of texture and contrast. It relies on the sweetness of onions and the acidity of lemon to lift the earthy flavor of the spinach, resulting in a meal that is equally satisfying served warm or at room temperature.
Manage your moisture
The spinach will release a significant amount of water. Add your liquid cautiously to avoid ending up with a soup rather than a pilaf.
- large heavy-bottomed pot
- chef's knife
- citrus reamer
What goes in.
- 1/4 cupextra virgin olive oil
- 2yellow onions, diced
- 1 lbfresh spinach, washed and stems trimmed
- 1 cuplong-grain or medium-grain rice
- 2 cupshot vegetable stock or water
- 1 tbsptomato paste
- 1/2 cupfresh dill, chopped
- 1lemon, juiced
- to tastesea salt and black pepper
Volume reduction
Do not crowd the pot with all the spinach at once. Add it in handfuls, letting each batch wilt down completely before adding more, so you don't overwhelm the rice cooking process.
The method.
Sauté the aromatics
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
Toast the grains
Add the rice to the pot and stir to coat it in the oil. Toast for 2 minutes until the edges of the grains become slightly translucent.
Integrate the greens
Stir in the tomato paste, then add the spinach in handfuls. Once all spinach is wilted, pour in the hot stock.
Simmer
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 15 to 18 minutes until the liquid is fully absorbed and the rice is tender.
Finish
Remove from heat. Stir in the fresh dill and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, then let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Other turns to take.
Feta finish
Crumble a generous amount of high-quality sheep's milk feta over the top immediately before serving.
Leek substitution
Replace the yellow onions with two large leeks, white and light green parts only, for a milder profile.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use the freshest dill you can find; dried herbs will not provide the necessary lift.
If using a starchy rice like Arborio, rinse it under cold water first to remove excess surface starch so the final dish isn't gummy.
Serve at room temperature to allow the flavors to settle and intensify.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use frozen spinach?
You can, but squeeze out every drop of excess water before adding it to the pot, otherwise the rice will overcook before the water evaporates.
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