Kismet's Pickley Cheesy Greens
Kismet chefs Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer riff on a steakhouse side of creamed-spinach-meets-spinach-dip. The two whip up a lavish dip packed with cheese, greens and pickles, which add tang to cut through the indulgent creaminess. “Serve it as a side (to steak or anything at all) or as an epic snack for chip dipping,” write Hymanson and Kramer in their book, “Kismet: Bright, Fresh, Vegetable-Loving Recipes.” It’s a great party dish or addition to any holiday or other special-occasion dinner.
Note: You can make the spinach dip, minus the panko topping, a day or two ahead and store it in the fridge until ready to bake. Heat the dip in the oven without the panko until heated through,
then add the topping and bake according to the recipe.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, combine 8 cups water with 1⁄4 cup of the kosher salt and bring to a boil. Working in batches, blanch the spinach and herbs with their stems until tender — 30 seconds for the spinach, 3 to 5 minutes for the dill and parsley.
Drain the veg in a colander and, when cool enough, use your hands to thoroughly squeeze out all of the liquid. Roughly chop the cooked greens.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked greens with the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, the pepper, scallions, sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar and mix well. Add the pickles and mix to distribute. Transfer to a small (such as a 6-inch square) broilerproof dish.
In a small bowl, combine the panko, olive oil, and grated garlic and mix to evenly distribute. Sprinkle the panko mixture over the top of the greens.
Bake for 20 minutes. Set the oven to broil and broil until nicely browned on top, about 5 minutes.
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