Creamed Spinach

Creamed Spinach

from Ellen's kitchen, with thanks to epicurious.com, serves 10

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs washed, fresh spinach
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Cook:

• spinach in two batches in 1 inch of salted, boiling water in 8 quart pot, stirring constantly, until wilted, 1-2 minutes.  Drain in colander and rinse in cold water, to stop cooking.  Squeeze cooked spinach in hand or towel to remove as much water as possible, and chop as desired (we like quite finely chopped).

Heat:

•  milk and cream in small saucepan over moderate heat, until warm, and leave on simmer.  Melt butter in heavy saucepan and soften onion in it, 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add flour and form roux, stirring for about 3 minutes.  Add milk/cream in steady stream, stirring constantly to avoid clumps, until thickened, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in salt, pepper, and spinach and cook, stirring, until heated through.

 May:

• make a day ahead and then reheat.  I reheated in baking dish with foil on top, in 350 oven with meat for hour, and it worked deliciously well!