Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 20-ounce bags fresh spinach, washed and tough stems removed
- Water and salt, for boiling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups warm half-n-half or whole milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
Preheater broiler. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water by pressing spinach against the sides of a colander with the back of a large spoon. Coarsely chop and set aside. In a large saucepan, make a white roux by melting the butter over medium heat. Gradually add the flour, whisking constantly, until fully blended and bubbly. Do not brown. Now, turn that white roux into a Béchamel Sauce by gradually adding the warm half-n-half or whole milk. Stir in the bay leaf, salt, peppers and nutmeg. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for an additional 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and stir in spinach. Pour mixture into a lightly greased baking dish and broil until top is golden brown and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 6-8 servings.