Spinach à la crème

Spinach à la crème is a classic side dish of briefly wilted spinach in a mild, creamy sauce. Butter, cream and a hint of nutmeg give it a gentle, rounded flavour. A simple, timeless vegetable dish that goes perfectly with fish, meat or mashed potatoes.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 10 minutes
Cooking: approx. 10 minutes
Total time: approx. 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 800 g fresh spinach or 400 g frozen leaf spinach
• 30 g butter
• 1 small shallot
• 100 ml double cream
• salt
• freshly ground white pepper
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation

• Fresh spinach Remove any tough stalks. Wash the spinach in plenty of cold water until no grit remains. Drain well in a colander and, if possible, briefly spin dry in a salad spinner.
• Frozen spinach Defrost the leaf spinach completely. Squeeze out the excess moisture (for example in a sieve or between two plates), so it isn’t too wet.
• Peel the shallot and finely chop it.

Method

1. Soften the shallot Melt the butter in a large pan over a low heat. Add the finely chopped shallot and cook gently until translucent, without colouring.
2. Wilt the spinach Add the spinach. For fresh spinach: add it to the pan in batches, stirring until the leaves wilt. Continue until all the spinach is in the pan; this takes 1–2 minutes in total. For frozen spinach: add the well-squeezed spinach all at once and warm through briefly, stirring.
3. Remove moisture and chop if desired Tip the spinach into a colander set over a bowl and gently press out any excess liquid with the back of a spoon. For a finer texture, roughly chop the wilted spinach on a chopping board. Return the spinach to the pan.
4. Add the cream and thicken Pour the cream over the spinach. Warm over a low heat and let the sauce reduce gently for a few minutes until lightly thickened and creamy. Stir regularly.
5. Season Season the spinach à la crème with salt, freshly ground white pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Taste and adjust if needed; be careful with the nutmeg, a little goes a long way.
6. Serve Serve the spinach à la crème straight away, as a warm side dish with, for example, fried fish, a piece of meat or mashed potatoes.