Spanish Catalan Spinach: Espinacas a la Catalana

This dish is from the Spanish region of Catalonia (main city: Barcelona). The use of raisins in some Spanish dishes is from the long presence of the Moors, who once ruled over a large part of Spain for centuries. Most recipes call for black raisins for this spinach, but I used some of both golden and black. (NOTE: The Moors were Muslim Berbers from North Africa, whose incursions into the Iberian Peninsula saw them conquering an increasing amount of territory there, primarily in Spain. Their rule in many Spanish regions didn't end until 1492.)

 

It's important to try not to cook the spinach into oblivion, but to remove it from the heat as it collapses. When I was a kid, spinach was often sold in cans; and also, there was frozen spinach in small square waxed boxes covered with a wrapper (quite a number of frozen fruits and vegetables were sold in such packaging). Popeye was, and had been, a popular cartoon in those times, and if you've seen any Popeye cartoons, you know that, when in trouble, Popeye would pull out a can of spinach, squeeze the can until the spinach went flying into his mouth and he gained super strength to overcome whatever adversity he was facing. In spite of Popeye's spectacular feats, spinach was not popular with everyone, especially (?) kids. Just think of it. Mothers opened cans of spinach, plopped the compacted mess ... I mean, mass, into a pan, heated it, put it onto a plate with some other items, and expected their kids to down it to the last bite. I always viewed spinach in that form, as something a cow had already eaten, which was only confirmed by one of the local slaughter houses, where you could stand and watch the butchers kill, skin and disembowel the cows, as the "spinach" spilled out onto the floor. This brought me to say to myself, "Gee, Popeye has a lot of explaining to do about a cow with so much spinach being unable to save itself from becoming someone's hamburger or beef noodle soup." Anyway ...

   

Now that I've stimulated your desire for spinach, this is a good side dish. hahaha

Ingredients (4 servings):

10 ounces fresh spinach

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/4 cup raisins 

1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (depending upon your lemony preference)

ground black pepper to taste

salt to taste

 

It's a good thing to let the raisins soak in a little warm water for about 5 or 6 minutes, so that they soften and plump up. Rinse the spinach and drain it of most of the water. In a small skillet (no oil), I toast the pine nuts over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, while shaking the pan as they roast to prevent sticking and burning, then remove from the heat. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the minced garlic and saute for no more than one minute. Drain the raisins and add them to the skillet along with about 1/3 of the spinach, and keep mixing the spinach with the garlicky olive oil until it begins to cook down, then add another 1/3 of the spinach and do the same, and then add the remainder of the spinach and the toasted pine nuts, and continue mixing as before. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste, and add a tablespoon or two of freshly squeezed lemon juice and mix well until all is heated through; remove from the heat and serve. (Note: Leafy greens, like spinach, can look intimidating if added to a pan all at once, as it will form a "heap;" but, when it cooks down, it only takes a relatively small amount of space compared to when it was raw. I chose to add the spinach in thirds, as that makes it easier to mix it, because if all the spinach is added at one time, you will likely have spinach falling from the pan, and you will have difficulty mixing it in well.)    

 

WORD HISTORY:

Candle (chandelier, chandler, candelabrum)-These words are related to "candor, candid, candescent (and incandescent), candidate, incense and some others (all are Latin derived words borrowed by English from Latin, except "incense," was came into English via Latin-based French). The words go back to Indo European "kand," which had the meaning, "to glow, to shine brightly." This gave Latin "candere," meaning, "to shine brightly," but also, "to glow white," and this produced the Latin noun "candela," which meant "torch, a kind of torch made of tallow or wax." This was borrowed into Old English as "candel" (later spelled "candle"), likely borrowed because of the Christian religious practice of using candles, as opposed to torches and oil lamps. Latin "candela" was also the basis of Latin "candelabrum" (singular, with "candelabra" as the plural), which meant "candelstick," and this was borrowed by English with the same meaning in the latter part of the 1300s. The meaning carried the implication of a candle standing on some base or holder. The Latin "candelabrum" passed into Latin-based Old French as "chandelier," which carried a somewhat difference in meaning, that referred to "a group of candles that hang from a ceiling and are situated on types of branches (often ornate). This was borrowed by English in circa 1300 (?), initially as "chaundeler," with the French spelling of "chandelier" prevailing somewhat later. French "chandelier" had others meanings: "candle maker;" thus also, "candle seller," and also, "one in charge of providing candles for the lighting of religious facilities or of large households." This gave English "chandler" in circa 1300 for "one who makes and sells candles," which replaced the fairly recent English compound "candleman." Later (by mid to late 1500s), the word had an expanded meaning of "a merchant who deals in specialized products, especially for ships."