Southern Creamed spinach
Instructions:
- Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt per cup of water. Working in batches, place the spinach in a large strainer and lower it into the boiling water until it wilts, about 3 seconds. Quickly transfer the spinach into the ice water to stop the cooking and set the bright green color. Remove the spinach and squeeze it as dry as possible. Coarsely chop the spinach.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it begins to foam. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and cook, stirring continuously, until the flour mixture is smooth and golden, about 3 minutes.
- Whisking constantly, add the half-and-half in a slow, steady stream. Cook the mixture, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Reduce the heat and continue to cook the sauce until it is the consistency of soft pudding. Stir in the nutmeg.
- Stir in the spinach and cook over low heat until the spinach is warm and the sauce is gently bubbling, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the cheese. Season with the salt and pepper. Serve very soon.
- Make-ahead note: You can make the recipe through Step 3 up to 1 day ahead. As soon as the sauce thickens, gently press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent the sauce from forming a skin. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. Gently reheat the sauce before continuing. Store the spinach separately, covered and refrigerated.