Cooking with gas!

Celebrate spring – and Braai Day – with friends and family preparing and braaiing lamb sosaties or ribeye steak with an assortment of delicious vegetables. In his award winning book Food Trail South Africa, Warren Mendes spices things up with daring combinations. Here's a taste...

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Creamed spinach with chilli-parmesan dippers

A new take on creamed spinach, used as a dip and served with indulgent spicy parmesan dippers – or long croutons - made with sourdough bread. A great snack!

Serves 6 (as snack)Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes

YOU NEED

FOR THE CREAMED SPINACH

• 400–500 g frozen spinach, thawed, or 800 g–1 kg fresh spinach, rinsed• 25 g unsalted butter• 1 onion, finely chopped• 2 garlic cloves, crushed• 250 ml crème fraîche or cream• ¼ teaspoon (1,25 ml) freshly grated nutmeg• ½ cup (125 ml) finely grated parmesan• ½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped fresh basil or parsley leaves• zest of 1 lemon

FOR THE DIPPERS

• 75 g very finely grated parmesan, plus extra for serving• 75 g unsalted butter, softened• ½ teaspoon (2,5 ml) fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle• ½ teaspoon (2,5 ml) chilli flakes, plus extra for serving• ½ teaspoon (2,5 ml) coriander seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle• 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked• ½ sourdough baguette, sliced at an angle

THIS IS HOW

Make the dippers Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Place the parmesan, butter, fennel, chilli flakes, coriander and thyme in a bowl. Season and stir well to combine. Spread one side of each baguette slice with the butter mixture and place on a lined baking tray. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and bake for 8–10 minutes or until golden and bubbling.