When you own a restaurant–or host a party–you can hear a lot of politics being discussed.
In my experience, political discussions can sometimes make you lose your appetite. And the only way I know to regain it (not to mention the party spirit) is to stop the chat, if only for a moment, with something really good to eat.
That’s why I’m happy to share my recipe for one of the most popular appetizers around, a dip about which everyone can agree. It will come in handy throughout the holiday season.
Hot spinach-and-artichoke dip has long been one of the top menu items at my Wolfgang Puck Cafes, something people ask for when they order their drinks. Its deep-green color, bright and rich flavors, and casual style of eating–it’s scooped up with crusty French bread, crackers, tortilla chips, hot pita or flatbread–makes it an ideal way to perk up appetites.
My version gains added interest from a complex range of enrichments, including mascarpone and creme fraiche, respectively Italian and French soured cream cheeses (both available in the refrigerated cases of well-stocked food stores), a little fresh, creamy goat cheese, and Parmesan, which I include in both the dip and its golden-brown topping.
I also like to add a little garlic. I especially like the rich taste of roasted garlic, which is easily made:
Rub whole, unpeeled garlic cloves with olive oil, put them in a small baking dish and roast in a 375-degree oven until tender, about 20 minutes. Then, when cooled, squeeze the pulp from the skin. Or, even more conveniently, you can use roasted garlic puree from a tube, found in specialty food stores.
Speaking of convenience, I must mention the two main ingredients. I like the way this recipe uses frozen artichoke hearts, eliminating the need to pare that tough-skinned, prickly vegetable. As for the spinach, I recommend using fresh organic spinach, which I think has better flavor than the bagged variety–and was, incidentally, found to be innocent in the recent health scare over bagged leaves.
Hot spinach-and-artichoke dip
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 23 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
3 bunches or bags (10 ounces each) spinach, stemmed
1 package (9 ounces) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup each: mascarpone cheese, creme fraiche
2 tablespoons goat cheese
2 cloves raw garlic, minced, or roasted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Crusty French bread slices, crackers or chips
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large stockpot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Blanch the spinach, in batches in boiling water until wilted, about 1 minute; transfer to ice water to stop cooking, 30 seconds. Place in a strainer; squeeze out excess water. Transfer the spinach to a large bowl; set aside.
2. Pulse the artichokes in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, mascarpone, creme fraiche, goat cheese, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, pulsing just until thoroughly combined.
3. Add the spinach; pulse just until combined. (The mixture should still have some texture and not be completely smooth.) Spoon the mixture into a shallow ovenproof baking dish; set aside.
4. Toss the remaining 1/4 cup of the Parmesan with the bread crumbs and paprika in a small bowl; sprinkle topping evenly over the dip. Bake until bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve with French bread, crackers or chips.
Nutrition information per serving:
300 calories, 82% of calories from fat, 28 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 525 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
