Creamed spinach

by Ed Halmagyi

Ingredients

  • 1 brown onion, very finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp plain flour
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup hot milk
  • 500g English spinach leaves
  • ½ cup cream
  • salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper

Instructions

1 Sauté the onion, garlic and bay leaf in butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat for 10 minutes until softened and sweetened.
2 Sprinkle the flour and nutmeg over and cook for 1 minute, until just beginning to stick to the base of the pan, then add the milk steadily, whisking constantly. Simmer until thickened. Turn the heat off.
3 Blanch the spinach leaves in rapidly-boiling water until just wilted, then refresh in iced water. Drain, squeeze out the water, then chop finely. Mix into the sauce with the cream then season with salt and pepper. Purée half the sauce, then fold back into the remainder and rewarm gently to serve.