Wild Mushroom-Spinach Roulade with Red Chile Sauce

Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Spray paper evenly with nonstick vegetable spray.

To make sauce: Heat oil in saucepan over medium. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until onion is limp. Stir in chile and water, 1 cup at a time. Add salt and bring sauce just to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook about 20 minutes, or until it drops off spoon easily and smoothly.

To make roulade: Beat egg whites with mixer until smooth peaks form, firm but not dry. Whisk yolks together lightly in medium mixing bowl. Set both aside.

Heat butter in large saucepan over medium-low. Stir flour, salt and chile into butter gradually. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in milk slowly, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until lightly thickened, about 4 more minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk about 1 cup hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Pour yolk mixture back into remaining milk mixture, whisking continually. Stir in cheese.

Fold egg whites gently into yolk-milk mixture. Spoon mixture onto baking sheet covered with paper, smoothing and tucking into corners. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes, when it may exhibit minor surface cracks. Let roulade cool on baking sheet. Turn off oven, unless baking roulade immediately after assembly.

To make filling: Place spinach in large saucepan with water still clinging to leaves. Cover and steam until just wilted. Transfer to colander, and let spinach leaves cool to room temperature.

If using dried mushrooms in filling, cover with 1 cup hot water, and soak them briefly until soft. Save soaking liquid, leaving any grit behind. Chop fresh and dried mushrooms very finely, preferably in food processor, in 2 batches. Heat butter in large skillet over medium. Stir in shallots and mushrooms, and sauté until mushrooms have given up their liquid, and liquid has evaporated from skillet, about 20 minutes. If using dried mushrooms, add soaking liquid to skillet. Add salt, ground chile and cream, and continue cooking until liquid evaporates and mushrooms begin to stick to pan, about 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream, and remove from heat. Spoon mushroom mixture over egg mixture.

When spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out liquid and chop coarsely. Sprinkle spinach evenly over mushrooms. Spinach leaves tend to cling, but separate them, if possible, so that spinach thoroughly covers roulade surface.

To roll up roulade: Begin rolling from short side, using parchment for support and carefully pulling paper away as it is rolled. Transfer roulade with large spatula to plastic wrap and tightly roll it up. Refrigerate overnight. If you wish to bake roulade immediately after assembly, it is not necessary to wrap and refrigerate it.

Preheat oven to 375F. Oil baking sheet.

Unwrap roulade and arrange it in center of sheet. Brush with whipping cream. Bake for about 15 minutes, until heated through, slightly puffed and golden brown. Cool for about 10 minutes.

To serve, present roulade whole. Then using sharp knife, cut roulade into thin rounds, enough to serve 2 slices per person. Spoon small pools of sauce on each plate, overlap 2 roulade slices over sauce and serve.

Wine Suggestions

Here’s a dish that works equally well with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and for all the same reasons: earthy mushrooms, mild spices, and spinach. Try Scotchmans Hill Bellarine Peninsula Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.