Spinach (Epinards).—Pick over the spinach (about
2 to 3lb.), removing all faded or imperfect leaves
and any coarse stalk. Well wash in two or three
waters, then either put it on in a pan with a little
water, or only the water adhering to the leaves after
washing, and let it cook till tender, which takes from
ten to fifteen minutes. Now drain well, and rub
it through a sieve. Melt together 1oz. of butter
with a teaspoonful of flour, till perfectly smooth,
add this to the spinach with pepper, salt, and a little
new milk or cream, or good gravy, stir it all well
together till hot, and serve. Spinach improves
by reheating, and in France a large quantity is cooked
at a time (generally by the crèmeries, from whom it
may be bought ready for re-heating and finishing
off). But to ensure success with spinach cooked thus,
the vegetable when blanched should be well drained,
pressed, and chopped, then sieved and finished off
with butter or cream, or an addition of rich veal
stock as preferred. (French cooks almost invariably
stipulate for an extra allowance of butter when
spinach is used.) When made thus into a purée
it is served with croûtons and poached eggs, or œufs
mollets, as preferred. In England spinach is, after
well washing, put on in a generous amount of boiling
salted water, the leaves being pressed down from
time to time to keep them covered whilst cooking.
They are then strained, pressed, and finished off as
before. Remember that the young leaves of nettles,
beetroot, watercress, turnip tops, and even curly
kale, are excellent treated as spinach.