Rory’s Recipes #1 - Spinach Wake and Bake

Ingredients:

• 400g fresh spinach 
• 100g Basil, parmesan & tomato butter
• 4 eggs
• 8-12 slices French stick

OK, here’s how it’s done.  First, heat the oven up to 190C or maybe a bit less if it has a fan inside. Next, if these sort of things worry you, you can wash the spinach and ace any thick stalks. Put it into a large pan and cook it with the lid on until the spinach is wilted.  I think this takes about 2-3 mins so I guess you could listen to the whole of ‘Popscene’ by Blur. A lot of my timings tend to revolve around numbers/ timings of songs … this can get a bit complicated when listening to Wagner.  Anyway, drain it well, pressing out all the excess water and then put it back in the pan with about a quarter of the butter, stirring until the spinach is all shiny and wet. Put the grill on high - you could probably do this at the beginning by the way. Split the spinach between 4 buttered ramekins and then crack an egg in each. Season with salt and pepper, then top with a knober of butter. Bake these for 10-12 mins, until the eggs are just set - this is the perfect amount of time to listen to ‘Mother Sky’ a brilliant Can cover by Loop, who our friend and mentor James Endeacott played guitar in for a while. Meanwhile, grill the bread on one side until it’s crisp and then spread the untoasted side with the remaining butter and grill it again until crisp. Serve the eggs with the toast on the side. Done.