Spinach Gratin

In French,  Gratin originally referred to the tasty crust left behind in a pan after baking.  The chef got to scrape the crust out of the pan as a little treat for himself.  Gratin has grown today into meaning any dish that has a crumb or cheese topping and is baked in an oven.  This recipe begins with a really good creamed spinach and then adds the grated Gruyere cheese to create the gratin. The recipe originally came from The Barefoot Contessa, but I have altered it a little by reducing both the amount of salt and onion.  I also went a little stronger on the cheese topping than the original.  It is a really tasty dish that you can make a day or two ahead of time and just pop into the oven for 20-30 minutes prior to serving.  It goes really well with beef or pork roasts, or as a natural side with steak. 

Ingredients:

4 TBSP Unsalted Butter
2 Small to Medium Onions - finely chopped
1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp. Grated Nutmeg 
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Cups Milk
5 10Oz. Packages Frozen Spinach - Defrosted and squeezed to remove as much moisture as possible.
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 TBSP Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3/4 cup Grated Gruyere Cheese

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Thaw the spinach and squeeze as much liquid as possible from it.  Keep Squeezing.  The dish will be runny if you don't get enough of the liquid out.  Set aside.  Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 15 minutes.  Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.  Add the cream and milk slowly and cook until thickened.  Add the spinach to the sauce.  Add 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese and mix well.  Season to taste with the salt and pepper.  Transfer the spinach to a baking dish (a flute edged gratin dish is perfect but not necessary)   Top the spinach with the remaining parmesan and the grated Gruyere.  Bake for twenty to thirty minutes, or until the topping is beginning to brown and the dish is hot and bubbly.  Serve with a Grilled steak and a glass of "big" Cabernet Sauvignon, and you have got a real treat.