Creamed spinach

Patri, author of Sabores&Momentos , brings us an ideal recipe to enjoy spinach: how to make creamed spinach with a touch of gratin . It is ideal to enjoy at the table and it is also not difficult at all. You will love the recipe, you will see!

With the end of summer and the return to routine, the kids are back to school and we are back to our routine regarding their diet. Gone are the days of holiday indulgences, hahaha! So at home I am already busy putting together the daily menus to have everything in order and not lose track of the ingredients for the dishes of each day… We are back to the task of eating vegetables every day!

Julia Child's "The Art of French Cooking" book ,Le Creuset mini-cocottes and a Textured plate by Tokyo Design

Spinach prepared in any way is an excellent vegetable! The smaller, more tender variety can be cooked directly in a pan over low heat with some butter and salt in its own juice. However, it is usual to blanch it first in plenty of salted water, then drain it well and cook it over low heat with oil or butter so that it is sautéed with all its flavour. Spinach goes with almost everything, fish, chicken, ham, chops, eggs… It can be used for fillings for empanadas, cannelloni, vegetable pies and even soufflés.

Today I bring you a classic that I love: delicious creamed spinach, which we love at home, both young and old. I sometimes serve it as a starter and other times as a side dish for meat or fish, depending on the menu. Its intense flavour and that extreme creaminess make it an irresistible staple. Usually, as we have a large family at home, I present them in a rectangular dish (like those from Emile Henry or the famous Le Creuset ) suitable for the oven where I give them the final gratin... but today I was in a whim and I usedmy mini-cocottes to present them in individual portions and they are to die for!! Straight from the oven to the table, just the way I like it.

For this recipe I also follow the wise advice of Julia Child , who has a whole section on this type of recipe in her book “The Art of French Cooking” . Although the original recipe is made with light cream, I personally always prepare it with milk so as not to make it so heavy. I hope you like it!

Ingredients (for 4-6 people)

• 1.2kg fresh spinach
• salt to boil the spinach
• 60g unsalted butter (you can use olive oil instead to make the recipe lighter)
• 1 ½ tablespoons sifted flour
• 1 small clove of garlic (optional)
• Handful of pine nuts
• 250ml of milk
• salt and pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 150 gr of grated Gruyere or Emmental cheese
• 60gr grated parmesan cheese

Le Creuset Wooden Handle Frying Pan andLe Creuset Mini Cocottes

Preparation

1. We start by washing the fresh spinach leaves thoroughly to remove any remaining sand. We prepare alarge pot of salted water and bring it to the boil. We add the spinach and let it boil again for about 2 minutes on high heat.
2. After this time, pour the spinach onto a colander in the sink and immediately turn on the tap with very cold water and let it run to refresh the spinach. This way, we will maintain the colour and texture. Next, squeeze the spinach and drain off any excess moisture. Then, with a knife on a cutting board, proceed to chop it (if the board has a drip tray like the one from Kuhn Rikon, it will be cleaner, since the spinach will still release water).
3. In a saucepan or frying pan , melt the butter, lightly brown the chopped garlic clove, add the pine nuts, spinach and salt and sauté over high heat for a minute or two to evaporate the moisture. Then sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. Lower the heat and cook for another couple of minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and add two thirds of the milk and a pinch of nutmeg by the spoonful. Stir, cover and simmer for 13-15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the spinach from sticking to the bottom. Continue adding milk as you see it drying out. Leave the spinach juicy and, after the time has elapsed, pour it into theLe Creuset mini-cocottes .
5. Sprinkle with cheese and set aside if not serving immediately. About 30 minutes before serving, place directly in the mini-cocottes in the oven, preheated to 190º so that the spinach reaches the ideal temperature and the top layer is lightly browned.

And to the table…I hope you like it!!