Recipe: Italian Sushi (bread and spinach)

Italian Sushi (bread and spinach)

This is a real neat appetizer - it looks very pretty, is *very* easy to make, and generates lotsa "oohs" and "aahs". I call it "Italian Sushi" - I got the recipe off someone from Northern Italy. You have white-bread-n-spinach instead of the white-rice-n-fish. Satish Ramachandran, rec.food.veg/1991

A loaf of white bread
Spinach - a bunch
2 tablespoons Butter
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
salt to taste

Important: Get the bread sliced longitudinally (not in the normal, lateral way). For this recipe, do *NOT* use the end slices. You need slices that are white on both sides. Cut out the rinds of the different slices and retain the white insides only.

Lay out the slices so as to form a single layer. There should be no gaps between the slices.

Chop spinach, steam it (or cook it in very little water). Drain the water.

Add the butter, pepper, nutmeg (important), salt and mash the whole. You can add ricotta cheese also (optional)

Smear the mashed paste as a semi-thick layer on the bread.

Roll the bread along the longitudinal side so that you have one long roll. You should have rolled the bread over the spread at least twice (mentally picture things such that if you cut a circular slice of the roll, you should see a whirl of the spread in the center of the slice.)

Cut 1/2-inch circular slices/wheels of the long roll. Place them in a tray (a dark tray, if possible; it looks, well, aesthetically very pleasing) and serve.

If you wish to wait a while, wrap the roll in aluminum foil and keep cold. When ready to serve, remove the foil, slice into wheels as mentioned above and serve.