Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large pot for blanching
• •Large bowl for ice bath
• •Spider strainer or slotted spoon
• •12-inch skillet or sauté pan
• •Microplane or fine grater for nutmeg

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the ice bath

   Fill your largest bowl with ice water and set it near the stove. This cold shock stops the cooking instantly and preserves that vivid green color. Without it, your spinach turns army drab. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil.

   The water should taste like the sea. This is your only chance to season the spinach from within.
2. 2

   Blanch the spinach

   Add spinach to the boiling water in batches, pushing leaves under with a spider strainer. The spinach wilts almost instantly, collapsing to a fraction of its original volume. After thirty seconds total, the leaves will be bright green and completely tender. No longer. Overcooked spinach tastes of nothing but regret.

3. 3

   Shock and squeeze

   Transfer the spinach immediately to the ice bath using a spider or slotted spoon. Let it sit for two minutes until thoroughly chilled. Now comes the critical step: gather the spinach into a ball and squeeze it over the sink with both hands, wringing out every possible drop. Open the ball, refold it, and squeeze again. You want the spinach drier than you think possible.

   I squeeze spinach three separate times, opening and refolding between each. The cream sauce will thank you.
4. 4

   Chop the spinach

   Place the squeezed spinach on a cutting board and run your knife through it roughly, creating a coarse chop. You want recognizable pieces of leaf, not a puree. Some texture gives the dish character and reminds everyone they're eating actual vegetables.

5. 5

   Build the cream base

   Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the minced shallot and cook until soft and translucent, about three minutes. Add the garlic and stir for thirty seconds until fragrant. The kitchen should smell like an invitation.

6. 6

   Add cream and reduce

   Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it bubble lazily for four to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. The cream should reduce by roughly a third. Watch it carefully because cream goes from perfect to scorched with little warning.

7. 7

   Incorporate cream cheese

   Reduce heat to low. Add the cream cheese cubes and stir steadily until completely melted and smooth. This takes about two minutes of patient stirring. The sauce gains body and a subtle richness that heavy cream alone cannot provide.

8. 8

   Season the sauce

   Grate the nutmeg directly into the sauce using a microplane. Add the salt and white pepper. Stir well and taste. The sauce should be assertively seasoned because the spinach will dilute the flavors. Adjust salt now, before the vegetables go in.

   White pepper keeps the sauce visually clean, but black pepper works if that's what you have. Flavor trumps aesthetics.
9. 9

   Combine and finish

   Add the chopped spinach to the sauce and fold gently until every strand is coated and glistening. Cook for two to three minutes, stirring, until the spinach is heated through and the flavors marry. Stir in the Parmesan and the remaining tablespoon of butter. The butter adds gloss and rounds the edges of the sauce.

10. 10

    Taste and serve

    Taste one final time and adjust seasoning. The finished dish should be rich but balanced, with the clean flavor of spinach still evident beneath the cream. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and bring to the table immediately. Creamed spinach waits for no one, not even a resting steak.

Chef Tips

• •Frozen spinach works in a pinch, but thaw it completely and squeeze it even more aggressively than fresh. The flavor won't match, but the technique remains the same.
• •For a dinner party, prepare through step four up to a day ahead. Store the squeezed, chopped spinach wrapped tightly in the refrigerator. The cream sauce can be made several hours ahead and reheated gently before combining.
• •A gratin variation: transfer the finished creamed spinach to a buttered baking dish, top with additional Parmesan and breadcrumbs, and broil until golden and bubbling. The crust adds textural contrast.
• •The nutmeg must be freshly grated. Pre-ground nutmeg tastes of sawdust and disappointment. A whole nutmeg and a microplane cost little and transform everything from béchamel to eggnog.

Advance Preparation

• •Spinach can be blanched, shocked, squeezed, and chopped up to 24 hours in advance. Store wrapped tightly in the refrigerator.
• •The complete dish can be made 2 hours ahead and held in a 200°F oven, covered. Add a splash of cream when reheating if it thickens too much.
• •For potlucks, transport in a slow cooker set to warm. The gentle heat keeps everything silky without scorching.
• •Leftover creamed spinach makes an excellent filling for omelets or a topping for baked potatoes the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)