Cheese and spinach strata
This is perfect for a Shavuot brunch and so low-maintenance. Assemble it the day before and all you need to do the next day is bake it and receive the acclaim.
Serve the strata with a crisp, green salad and mustardy vinaigrette dressing to cut through the fatty cheese. Great as part of a buffet.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, finely chopped
30g unsalted butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
¾ tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper
200g frozen spinach (nuggets)
200g challah cut into 3cm cubes
8 sun-dried tomatoes, drained, cut into slivers 110g coarsely grated mature Cheddar
50g finely grated Parmesan
500ml milk
6 large eggs
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
METHOD
Sauté onion in butter and oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat until soft, about five minutes.
Add a third of a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper and continue cooking for one minute.
Stir in the frozen spinach, cover and leave to cook until the spinach has thawed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Watch the onion does not burn.
Once the spinach has thawed, uncover and cook for a few minutes more to cook off any excess liquid, then remove from heat and set aside.
Spread one third of the bread cubes in a well-buttered ceramic baking dish. Top with one-third of spinach mixture, a third of the sundried tomatoes and one-third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.
Whisk together eggs, milk, mustard and remaining salt and another few grinds of pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over the bread and cheese layers. Cover with cling film and chill for eat least eight hours or up to a day.
The next day, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 180°C.
Bake uncovered until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand five minutes before serving.