Cookbook:Creamed Spinach

Creamed Spinach
Category	Sauce recipes
Servings	4
Time	10 minutes

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Creamed spinach makes a nutritious sauce that goes well with fish and meat dishes. In Swedish cuisine it has traditionally been used with boiled potatoes and fish or with chipolata, the Swedish "prince-sausage". Creamed spinach can be done in two different ways: either with whole spinach or with chopped spinach.

Ingredients

Variation I – Whole spinach

• 500 g fresh spinach (or whole frozen spinach leaves)
• 2 dl water
• ½ dl cream or 1 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp salt
• Black pepper

Variation II – Chopped spinach

• 400 g of chopped spinach, fresh or frozen
• 1 ½ tbsp flour
• 1 dl milk
• ½ tsp salt
• Black pepper

Procedure

Variation I – Whole spinach

1. Boil the fresh spinach leaves and the salt in the water for about 5 minutes. If you use frozen spinach, follow the instructions on the box.
2. Drain away the water, and let the spinach dry for a minute or so.
3. Put the spinach back into the pan and add the cream. Simmer for a few more minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Variation II – Chopped spinach

1. Boil the fresh spinach leaves as in variation I, or gently thaw the frozen chopped spinach in a little bit of water in a pan.
2. Mix the flour with the chopped spinach in the pan, and add the milk.
3. Bring the spinach to the boil, and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes, tips, and variations

• It is not uncommon to add a dash of garlic and/or nutmeg to the creamed spinach.
• The proportions of milk/cream to spinach can be varied to produce anything from a rich green color to something similar to a white sauce with spinach in it, all according to taste.
• Note that spinach is high in nitrites, which means you may not have to use as much salt as you might think.