Pierre Franey’s Creamed Spinach
Updated Nov. 13, 2023
- Total Time
- About 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 2½pounds spinach in bulk, or two 10-ounce plastic wrapped bags
- 1tablespoon butter
- 1tablespoon flour
- 1cup milk
- ½teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt to taste, if desired
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
139 calories; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 817 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
If bulk spinach is used, pick it over to remove and discard any tough stems and blemished leaves. Rinse the spinach thoroughly and shake off excess water. There should be about 2 pounds cleaned weight, or 16 cups.
- Step 2
Bring enough water to a boil to cover the spinach when it is added and stirred down. Add spinach and cook 2 minutes and drain. Run under cold running water until chilled. Empty the spinach into a deep colander and press to extract most of the water.
- Step 3
Put the spinach into the container of a food processor or an electric blender and blend thoroughly. There should be about 1¾ cups.
- Step 4
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. Add the milk, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes and add the spinach. Stir to blend. Heat and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
A simple suggestion: Use much less water to cook the spinach. Marcella Hazan famously recommended no more water than clings to the leaves after washing. This approach saves most of the flavor and nutrients rather than leaching them out of the leaves and pouring them down the drain.
Instead of boiling the spinach, we put it in a pyrex dish, cover with cling wrap, and microwave it for a few minutes until wilted but still nice and green. Easy, fast, and clean. Then press out the water and hand chop it, which is also quick and clean.
No real need to puree. In fact, the texture becomes a big blah. Instead, steam the spinach, rinse in cold water, squeeze out excess moisture (use a paper towel) and chop coarsely. Then follow the directions. I've done this for years and it is as good as any steakhouse spinach.
Made this recipe to a T and would not make again. Salvaged it by adding a ton of parm and butter.
This is almost a double of my mom’s excellent creamed spinach, except she chopped rather than purée. I don’t worry much about squeezing out the water from the spinach, just a little press is enough. But then I always use cream rather than milk. What’s especially helpful about this recipe are the proportions. Mom never shared amounts because she cooked more by memory and feel. And I am terrible about remembering numbers so I always have to double check LOL
I sautéed the spinach in the main pan until wilted, and I do not puree because I like more texture. I put aside the cooked spinach and proceed as directed. A flat whisk makes quick work of the milk/butter mixture.