Farmers Market in Union Square, Midtown Manhattanm New York
City NY, USA
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La Belle Cuisine -More  Vegetable Recipes

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Union Square Café's Creamed Spinach

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La Belle Cuisine

Creamed Spinach

Union Square Cafe
Cookbook:160 Favorite Recipes from
New York's Acclaimed Restaurant
by Danny Meyer and Michael Romano,
1994, HarperCollins

"Creamed spinach has got to be one of America’s great comfort foods.
It’s also versatile, and works well with everything from fried chicken
to roast rack of venison. From his years in French kitchens, Michael
[Romano] learned that using béchamel – milk thickened with a flour
and butter roux – allows you to make great creamed spinach that is
light, economical, and hardly uses any cream."

1. Remove the stems from the spinach leaves. Discard any leaves that
are discolored or tough. Soak the spinach in a large bowl of cold water,
stirring to dislodge sand and grit. Change the water at least two or three
times to ensure that the spinach is absolutely clean. (With each change
of water, lift the spinach out of the bowl with your hands rather than
draining the water into a colander. That way you won’t pour the sandy
water back onto the spinach.) Thoroughly dry the spinach in a salad
spinner or on paper towels.
2. To make the béchamel, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a non-
reactive saucepan over low heat. Sift in the flour and stir with a
wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated into the
butter. Cook gently, stirring, for 5 minutes. Don’t let the flour
brown. Remove the roux from the heat and whisk in the milk.
Return to a boil, whisking constantly, and cook 2 to 3 minutes
longer. Cover and set aside while you cook the spinach.
3. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Cook the spinach, stir-
ring until wilted, and simmer 1 minute longer if necessary to re-
move any excess water from the spinach.
4. Pulse the cooked spinach in a food processor to make a coarse
purée.
5. Add the puréed spinach to the saucepan with the béchamel. Bring
to a simmer and stir in the heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and
remaining butter. Serves 4.

More from The Union Square Cafe:
Fagioli alla Toscana
Fagioli all' Uccelletto
Herb-Roasted Rack of Veal
Mashed Potatoes with Four Variations
Roasted-Vegetable and Goat-Cheese Terrine
Three-Grain Pilaf with Almonds
and Shiitake Mushrooms

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