The real deal. It doesn’t matter how you cook the spinach in step 1: you can steam, microwave, or boil it, and there’s no difference in the final result. However, if you can get fresh cream, not ultrapasteurized, you’ll see a real difference in both texture and taste in the final dish.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, large stems removed
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
Small grating of nutmeg, optional
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Plunge the spinach into it and cook for about a minute; drain well, then cool a bit and chop thoroughly.
Step 2
Put the cream and butter in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the spinach and bring to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach has absorbed much of the cream and is thick. Add a tiny bit of nutmeg if you like, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve hot.
The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.
MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
