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Christmas: Creamed Spinach

Source of Recipe

From "The Christmas Table" by Diane Morgan


Recipe Introduction

"It's hard to find exciting wintertime green vegetables that are also easy to prepare. I get bored with broccoli, and it takes a mountain of kale or chard to produce a last-minute sauté to feed a crowd. As much as I love green beans, they can be stringy and tough in winter, and the always-tender slim French haricots verts are expensive when serving a crowd. I'm including a recipe for creamed spinach because it's a crowd pleaser, a cinch to sauté, and doesn't require oven space. Baked vegetable casseroles and gratins make wonderful cold-weather fare, but juggling the oven space for a holiday meal that typically includes roasted meat or poultry can be challenging. A traditionalist would serve creamed spinach with roast beef, but this side dish goes with just about any main course."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
â—¦ 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
â—¦ 3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
â—¦ 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon freshly ground pepper
â—¦ 2 shallots, finely minced
â—¦ 1 1/2 pounds fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped


Recipe

In a 2 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the flour and whisk until well blended with the butter. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is cooked through and the roux turns a light tan, about 1 minute.

Add the cream and whisk briskly until smooth, thickened, and creamy, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Set the béchamel sauce aside. (The sauce can be made up to 2 hours before serving. Arrange and press the plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce so a skin doesn't form on the top of the sauce.)

In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the shallots and sauté until soft but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the spinach a handful at a time, stirring constantly and adding more as soon as there is room in the pan. Cook just until the spinach is wilted and heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the béchamel sauce and stir until creamy and heated through. Serve immediately in a warmed serving bowl.

Serves 6 to 8