PORTUGUESE GRATIN OF SHRIMPS & SPINACH

Béchamel sauce, also known as white sauce, is one of the mother sauces of French cuisine. Its history is a little foggy and there are a few theories of its origin being thrown around the culinary world. One says it was Marquis Louis de Béchamel, a 17th century French financier, had thought up the sauce while messing around in the kitchen trying to find new ways to dress up dishes. While that seems like a true enough story given the shared name, it’s probably not true since Béchamel was known for his work in finances and wearing of ladies frilly underwear (allegedly), not his cooking. A more likely origin is that it was created by Chef Francois Pierre de la Varenne, who had penned the recipe in his famous cookbook Le Cuisinier Francois, and had named it after Béchamel as an homage. It’s, however, not known why Pierre de la Varenne was reminded of Béchamel when making this particular sauce.

Serves 4
1 hour 30 minutes
598 kcal per serving


Ingredients

• 500 g medium sized cooked shrimps, shelled and deveined
• 800 g frozen spinach, defrosted on a colander
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 liter béchamel sauce
• 2-3 tbsp breadcrumbs

Béchamel sauce

• 5 tbsp butter
• 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 liter milk
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsk nutmeg

Method

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft.
2. Add the spinach, stirring often, until it gives off no more liquid, 8-10 minutes.
3. Mix with the shrimps, then set aside.
4. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted.
5. Add the flour and stir until smooth.
6. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6-7 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil.
8. Add the warm milk to the butter mixture, 250 ml at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. 
9. Bring to a boil, then cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly.
10. Remove from the heat, then season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.
11. Mix the béchamel sauce with the shrimp mixture, then pour everything into an ovenproof baking pan.
12. Top with breadcrumbs, then grill in the oven at 200 °C until golden and crisp, approx. 15 minutes.
13. Serve as it is or with a side dish of your choice.