This is especially good right now when the evenings are getting nippy, the spinach is becoming leathery and the tomatoes are spilling into the markets in all their glorious splendour. Adapted from a recipe by Julius Roberts.
| 800 g | (about 5 large) tomatoes |
| 5 T | extra virgin olive oil |
| 800 g | spinach, torn |
| 4 T | butter |
| 2 lg | yellow onion, chopped |
| 2 T | flour or potato starch or GF flour |
| 1/3 c | dry white wine |
| 2 c | whole milk |
| 2-3 | whole nutmeg or ½ t ground nutmeg |
| 10 | anchovies |
| ¾ c | (or so) coarse breadcrumbs |
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Place the tomatoes in a baking dish in a single layer. Drizzle with the oil and season well. Roast for an hour to concentrate flavours and cook out some of the liquid.
Meanwhile, heat 2 T oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Wash the spinach well, shake off and add to the pan (a little water is fine). Cook, stirring until wilted, you may need to do this in batches, and reserve the cooked spinach.
In the same pan, add the butter. When melted, add the onions, season and cook for about 15 minutes until soft but not too brown. Add the flour, stir, turn the heat down and cook the flour for a few minutes, constantly stirring. Add the wine and whisk in the milk a bit at a time to incorporate the flour to make a roux.
Grate in the nutmeg, if using, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Well-seasoned with no floury taste is what you are looking for.
Take the tomatoes out of the oven, give the spinach a squeeze to remove any excess water, then nestle among the roasted tomatoes. Pour over the bechamel, working it into the tomato spinach mixture. Lay the anchovies on top in an attractive pattern, scatter with breadcrumbs and drizzle with the remaining oil.
Put back in the oven and cook until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. You could put under the broiler for a minute or two if you prefer a darker colour on top. Remove from the heat and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Eat warm or cold.
Serves 4-6.