Creamed Spinach

To prepare the spinach first remove any tough stems and then wash. Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil. In the meantime, set up an ice bath. Once the water is boiling, add the salt (1 teaspoon per L/qt of water). In this case, the water should taste a bit salty as the spinach can withstand it. Blanch the spinach for about 2 minutes (you may have to do this in batches). Using a large, slotted spoon or spider, transfer the blanched spinach to the ice bath to cool. Once cool, remove from the ice bath. Squeeze as much of the excess water from the spinach as possible. You may find it helpful to squeeze small handfuls of spinach in paper towels. Note: You can also put the spinach in a colander and place something heavy over top to squeeze out the excess water. Leave overnight in the refrigerator.

Once the spinach has been completely squeezed of any excess moisture, finely chop it and set it aside. To chop the spinach, you can either do it by hand or for a finer texture (which we prefer) use the food processor. Pulse until you reach the consistency that you like (fine or roughly chopped).

To make the creamed spinach, finely chop the shallots and mince the garlic. Note: this dish is even good without the shallots and/or the garlic. Place a pan over medium-low heat and melt the butter. Add the shallots and sweat for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute to release its flavor. Next, add the cream and reduce by about half. Once it starts to thicken, add the chopped spinach and stir to combine. Next, add the nutmeg and seasoning. You may need to add a bit more salt as the spinach really seems to soak up the seasoning. Once the spinach is heated all the way through, serve immediately. As the spinach sits it will quickly absorb the cream so you may need to add a touch more to loosen it, if desired.