valchemist
06-11-2001, 10:40 AM
I was recovering from a cold when I made the spinach and prosciutto strata, and my tastebuds were not functioning as they should be. I wasn't able to taste any of my food all weekend. I have to partially rely on my darling husband's opinion for this review...he really enjoyed the flavors in this dish (and he is quite particular). Initially, he was skeptical about eating bread cubes in a main dish like that (I have never made a strata before), but after he took his first bite, the bread cubes didn't bother him at all. Even with my disabled tastebuds, I was able to enjoy the flavors of this dish. That tells me that there must have been quite a bit of flavor because I have tasted nothing else all weekend. There was a lot of chopping involved in making this dish, so it took a while. But it wasn't too hard to put together...a fun dish to make on a weekend. I followed the recipe almost to the letter, with the exception of using 4 oz of prosciutto instead of 3 oz. I don't have the 11x7 pan they recommended, so I made the strata in a 12x8. It just barely fit in that larger size. If I had used the smaller pan they recommended, I would have had to throw stuff out. I cooked the strata a little bit too long (accidentally) but that actually turned out to be a good thing because the cheese and bread on the top turned nice and brown and crispy, which we like. The inside was still moist. I am definitely going to make this dish again... Can't wait to taste it "for real." Sorry I couldn't be more specific on describing the taste. All I know is -- it's a definite keeper!
As a side note: since this recipe is from the article about using simple/few ingredients of high quality, I would recommend that you not depart from the recipe too much (at least for the first time). For example, use the fresh basil, Asiago, etc. as opposed to making substitutions... Just my opinion...
As a side note: since this recipe is from the article about using simple/few ingredients of high quality, I would recommend that you not depart from the recipe too much (at least for the first time). For example, use the fresh basil, Asiago, etc. as opposed to making substitutions... Just my opinion...