Creamed spinach I

About the dish

Erken opens the spinach section by noting that spinach is "an altogether excellent plant," easily digested and very versatile. She recommends blanching the spinach quickly in boiling salted water with a little baking soda added, uncovered, and then cooling it in cold water to keep its green color.

How to make it

1. 1

   Clean and rinse

   Clean the spinach, remove the coarse stalks, and rinse it well in several changes of cold water.

2. 2

   Blanch

   Bring 4 liters of water to a boil with 30 g of salt (and optionally a knife's tip of baking soda). Add the spinach and let it blanch over high heat, uncovered, for 5–7 minutes.

3. 3

   Cool

   Immediately place the spinach in cold water so it keeps its color. Then put it in a strainer and let the water drain off. Press the water out well with a spoon.

4. 4

   Chop

   Chop the spinach about halfway, add the flour, and finish chopping it.

5. 5

   Cream

   Melt the butter in an enameled pot, add the spinach, and stir it well together with the butter. Thin with boiling cream, milk, or meat stock and let the mixture cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Serve

   Season with salt, put the mixture on a warm dish, and garnish with the hard-boiled eggs cut into slices or wedges. Serve with fish, roast meat, or fried ham.