Spring Veggie Timballo
Now, as we know, it’s hard to outdo my mum. But, inspired by a recent tweak my mum made to her own classic Tmballo recipe – which adds artichokes and removes the tomato sauce – I’ve done something I know she would never dream of doing and completely removed meat from my timballo and loaded it with copious amounts of greens. She might turn her nose up at first, but I believe it could become a new family favourite.
Ingredients
Spinach Crespelle
200ml of milk
100g of 00 flour
100 spinach, cooked and cooled down
and drained well (not squeezed)
4 eggs
20g of butter
Drizzle of oil to grease the pan
Salt (to taste)
Bechamel Sauce
200ml of milk
100g of 00 flour
100 spinach, cooked and cooled down
and drained well (not squeezed)
4 eggs
20g of butter
Drizzle of oil to grease the pan
Salt (to taste)
Crespelle Layer Filling
100g of large rainbow chard
500g of mix spring green veg
of your choice (peas, asparagus,
broad beans etc)
300g of diced or shredded
fior di latte mozzarella
200g of grated Grana
Padano cheese
40g of unsalted butter
150g of ricotta cheese
A splash of vinegar
Basil or sorrel leaves to garnish
1 egg
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Start with the spinach crespelle. The suggested ingredients will make about 20 crespelle. Blend together the eggs with the spinach, and then combine with the sifted flour, milk and melted butter and whisk well. Add a pinch of salt and pass the mixture through a fine sieve if there are lumps. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.Heat a small non–stick frying pan with a drop of extra virgin olive oil. Use kitchen paper to spread the oil evenly on the surface of the pan. Pour a ladle of crespelle mixture into the frying pan. Shake the pan quickly to allow the mixture to spread over the surface of the pan and cook 1 minute each side on medium heat. Turning the crespelle over in the pan is a gentle act, it might take a few tentative tries before getting it right, but don’t get discouraged – Rome wasn’t built in a day. Repeat until the mixture is finished. This should make approximately 20 crespelle. Allow the crespelle to cool down on a tea towel.
- Now make the béchamel sauce. In a casserole pan fry the onion gently with the butter and a pinch of salt. Once golden (around 10 minutes), add the sifted flour and mix well with a wooden spatula while it cooks for three minutes to make a roux. Once the roux is brown, pour in the milk (best if warmed up a little first) and bring to the boil while mixing with a whisk to avoid lumps. Allow to boil for three minutes, season with salt, pepper and a touch of nutmeg and remove from the heat. Remove the mixture from the pot, pour it into a cold bowl or container, cover with film and set aside.
- Prepare the veggies of your choice. I sauté my chard with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt, and I usually use asparagus and peas raw or simply blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds. I like my veg to be a little crunchy for extra texture and always well-seasoned.
- Grease a large baking tray, skillet or roasting dish that’s at least 5cm deep with a knob of butter. Cover the bottom of the tray with a first layer of crespelle. Then proceed to layer with a couple of spoons of béchamel sauce, two spoonfuls of veggies, a handful of mozzarella, a spoon of fresh ricotta, and a sprinkle of grated cheese. Cover with a couple of crespelle, and repeat the motion until all the crespelle have been used, making sure you finish with a final layer of crespelle on top. Make sure you have a ladle or two of béchamel and a handful of veg leftover.To build up the layers, you can either cover the tray fully with the crespelle to build a lasagne-like bake like a traditional timballo, or set a single crespelle in the centre like in the accompanying image to create a more dramatic look to the final piece. Spread a couple knobs of butter over the top of the timballo. Pierce a few holes with toothpicks to allow the steam out of it and bake at 150°C for 35-40 minutes. Once ready, it should be slightly golden on the outside and firm to the touch. Leave to rest for at least 45 minutes.
- Once rested, spread the leftover béchamel over and around the crespelle and scatter the leftover veg. Top with grated cheese and re-bake at 180°C for 5-8 minutes to create a crispy crust. Remove from the oven and top with a runny yolk poached egg and garnish with any fresh herbs you have before serving.