TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Épinards à la CrèmeFrench Creamed Spinach
- Total
- 1 hr
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
- Serves
- 4 servings
- Prep 15 min
- Cook 45 min
A French side dish of spinach boiled in salted water and finely chopped, then cooked in butter to remove moisture before simmering in cream.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (4 servings)
100Authenticity- Spinach1000 gAbout 5 bunches. Thick-leaved, crinkled winter spinach takes longer to blanch.
- Salt62 g60g for the blanching water; 2g to finish.
- Unsalted butter125 g70g for cooking; 55g to finish.
- Heavy cream (at least 35% milk fat)100 ml
Method
Trim the roots and wash the spinach in plenty of water
- 1 MeanwhileWhile washing, bring 4L water with 60g salt to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
- 2 Trim off the roots of the spinach.
- 3 Submerge the spinach in a bowl of plenty of water and swish it around to remove soil. Change the water 2–3 times.
Ready when
Proceed when no soil settles at the bottom of the bowl.
Blanch uncovered for 2 minutes, cool and squeeze dry
- 1 Add half the spinach to the boiling salted water and cook uncovered for 2 minutes. Skim off any foam, then take out 1 leaf and press it with a finger; remove the spinach when it crushes easily.
- 2 Lift out with a wire skimmer and transfer to plenty of cold water. Blanch the remaining half in the same way.
- 3 Change the cold water 1 time, leave the spinach in it for 5 minutes, then squeeze it firmly, a handful at a time.
Ready when
Proceed when the spinach is cold but still bright green and releases almost no water when squeezed.
Caution
If not cooled immediately after blanching, the spinach can turn yellowish and lose flavor.
Finely chop the squeezed spinach
- 1 Spread the spinach on a cutting board and chop finely in both directions.
Ready when
Proceed when the leaves and stems are evenly chopped into 2–3mm pieces.
Drive off moisture with butter, then cook gently for 15 minutes in all
- 1 Melt 70g unsalted butter in a heavy pot over high heat. Add the spinach and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes to drive off moisture.
- 2 Reduce the heat to low and cook for 13 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ready when
Proceed when no liquid pools on the bottom and the spinach is moist and coated with butter.
Add cream and the remaining butter and cook for 10 minutes
- 1 Stir in 100ml heavy cream and 55g unsalted butter and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes.
- 2 Season with 2g salt.
Ready when
It is ready when the cream coats the spinach without separating and the mixture falls slowly from a wooden spoon.
About this dish
In late-14th-century Parisian households, spinach came to the table at the start of Lent, when meat was set aside. Catherine de’ Medici is often credited with bringing it from Italy, but Parisians were eating it before she married into the French royal family in 1533.
In France today, spinach is most plentiful from October through the following May.
Spinach cooked with butter and cream has long accompanied veal or beef. One preparation serves beef tournedos with onions filled with this creamed spinach.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
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