1 tablespoon (½ ounce) unsalted butter
1 large or 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed but not peeled
8 cups loosely packed spinach
(about 12 ounces), large stems removed, washed, and spun dry
Wondra (instant) flour for dusting
8 ounces Puff Pastry
1¼ cups (½ recipe) Grits and Kernels with Yellow Tomato Water, freshly made
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut lengthwise into quarters
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut lengthwise into quarters
2 green bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut lengthwise into quarters
1½ cups grated Gruyère (about 4 ounces)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

By using plastic wrap in forming and rolling each of the layers in this recipe, you can manage all the moving parts neatly (and, believe me, roasted peppers are slick and slide around). Partially prebaking the pastry crust keeps it crispy when it is later combined with the peppers. The grits make for a pleasingly smooth transition from crust to filling. Please note, though, that this won?t stay crisp forever, so serve within a hour of preparing.

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic cloves and swirl them in the butter. Add about one-third of the spinach to the pan and move it around with a wooden spoon or pair of tongs until it begins to wilt. Gradually add the remaining spinach, stirring constantly until all the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and spread the spinach on a rimmed baking sheet to cool; discard the garlic.

Once it is cool, wring out the excess liquid from the spinach by hand or with a kitchen towel. Set aside.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

Sprinkle a board or work surface with a light dusting of flour. Place the puff pastry on the work surface, and roll it into a rectangle 12 by 13 inches and 1/16 inch thick. Be sure to roll the pastry large enough.

The pastry will shrink as it bakes, but prebaking will minimize the shrinkage during final baking. Place the puff pastry on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. The pastry should be set but not at all brown at this point. Set the pan on a cooling rack and let cool.

Lay a sheet of plastic wrap at least 14 inches long across the work surface. Spread half of the grits horizontally across the plastic wrap. Place a second sheet of plastic wrap on top and pat to form a rectangle that is approximately 10 inches long by 4 inches wide. To straighten the edges of the rectangle, press a ruler or other straight edge up against each side of the grits and push toward the center to even them. This will be used for the top of the vegetables. Set aside.

Clean the work surface and overlap two pieces of plastic wrap to make an 18-inch square. Leaving a 6-inch border at the top, spread the remaining grits into a second 10 by 4-inch rectangle across the plastic wrap.

Squeeze the spinach a final time to remove excess liquid. Dry all the roasted peppers on paper towels. Spread half of the spinach over the grits and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top with the red peppers, cutting them as necessary to form a solid layer of peppers. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, then scatter ½ cup of the cheese over the peppers. Top with the yellow peppers and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Scatter with another ½ cup of the cheese. Top with the green peppers and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining spinach and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Scatter the remaining cheese over the spinach.

Remove the top piece of plastic from the reserved grits, and invert onto the pepper and cheese layers. Peel away the plastic wrap. Lift the end of the bottom sheet of plastic wrap closest to you and pull it tightly over the top of the layers to compact them (do not roll the layers in the plastic).

Run a spatula under the puff pastry to make sure it isn't sticking to the pan. Trim away any ragged edges. Place the pan of puff pastry horizontally in front of you. Lift the vegetables on the plastic and place them vertically about 4 to 5 inches from the right edge of the pastry. Carefully shimmy the plastic wrap out from under the vegetables.

Brush the exposed right edge of the pastry with the eggs. Lift the left side of the puff pastry up over the compacted layers. Fold the right egg-brushed edge up to meet it, overlapping the edges slightly, and seal the pastry. Carefully roll the Wellington over so that the seam is underneath. Brush the surface with additional egg.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the top with additional egg, then bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Let stand at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6 as a main course

This is a great light entrée to serve alongside a salad for a vegetarian supper.

Copyright © 2006 by Michel Richard. All rights reserved.