Greek Spinach Rice: Spanakorizo

Contains:  Dairy in form of butter.  Is:  Vegetarian.

Recipe source:  Michael Psilaktis’s book, How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking.  Page 167.

Greek Spinach Rice

I used my rice cooker for this.  I had no reason (other than recipe reduction) to modify the source.  One could use either brown or white rice here.

Fresh spinach is recommended over frozen.  Wilted is the preferred texture.

Wilting the spinach.

Prep Time: 10 minutes.
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes.
Rest Time: Unnecessary.
Serves:  2.
Cuisine:  Greek.
Leftovers:  Covered in fridge.

• 1/2 cup / 120 uncooked long-grain rice, well-rinsed       
• 1.5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil                         
• 1 shallots, finely chopped                                        
• 3 whole scallions/green onions minus roots, thickly sliced.                             
• 2.5 cups / 590 mL baby spinach leaves  (compact them in, they’ll shrink a LOT
• Kosher or sea salt and a generous amount of fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1.5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice                               
• 1.5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, in about 3 chunks to improve melting speed.

Cook the rice according to the package instructions (or however you prefer to cook rice).

Towards the end of the cooking time, warm (don’t over-heat)  the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

Pan fry the shallots and scallions for 2 to 3 minutes.  Do not brown.   Add the spinach, turning it over with tongs or a spatula to help it wilt evenly.  When just wilted, add the salt and the pepper.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, the pepper, and the lemon juice.

I timed the rice to be done before the scallions/chives/spinach, and let it rest in the rice cooker.

Add the rice to the spinach mixture, then immediately add butter, and any additional salt/pepper.  Mix with your spatula.

You are ready to serve!

(I tasted some then, and was able to reserve the rest until the main dish I was making was ready eat with it – by keeping the spinach rice in the still-warm rice maker.  Normally I’d be timing these to come ready together, but I had the logistics of writing both of them up for Cookingbites.com — or at least ONE of them — before the storm that usually takes out my Internet hit…)

(According to the recipe, Spanakorizo is typically a side dish, but you can easily add shrimp, scallops, or mussels into it, to create a main.  One might also want a smattering of crumbled feta or manouri cheese.  Or, perhaps, goat cheese?  I ate this dish as a side, without cheeses.)   This recipe is a part of the Cookingbites Cookbook Game #5

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