Spinach Greening is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of making an extract from spinach that can be used to colour other dishes and sauces green. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Spinach Greening.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
SPINACH GREEN FOR COLOURING VARIOUS DISHES.
523. INGREDIENTS.—2 handfuls of spinach.
Mode.—Pick and wash the spinach free from dirt, and pound the leaves in a mortar to extract the juice; then press it through a hair sieve, and put the juice into a small stewpan or jar. Place this in a bain marie, or saucepan of boiling water, and let it set. Watch it closely, as it should not boil; and, as soon as it is done, lay it in a sieve, so that all the water may drain from it, and the green will then be ready for colouring. If made according to this recipe, the spinach-green will be found far superior to that boiled in the ordinary way.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
200g spinach greens
Method:
Wash and pick over the spinach greens then place in a blender (leave the water adhering to the leaves). Process to a past then scrape into a fine-meshed sieve. Press through the sieve with the back of a spoon into a small bowl. Set in a bain marie over hot water and cook until the greening sets.
Take off the heat and turn into a sieve lined with cloth. Allow all the liquid to drain away and reserve the solids, which are your greening. To use, add a few tablespoons of the greening to a sauce or soup.
