Luxurious buttery creamed spinach

This creamed spinach recipe is luxuriously creamy and flavorful. It’s also surprisingly simple: just spinach, butter, cream and Parmesan cheese. Puréeing the spinach gives the dish the silky, velvety texture that makes it so satisfying. Creamed spinach is a nice accompaniment for chicken and poultry dishes and also an ideal side for family grills. INGREDIENTS *3 cups baby spinach leaves, washed *½ cup heavy cream *2 tablespoons butter (½ stick) *¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese *Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste METHOD Heat the spinach leaves over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (such as an enameled Dutch oven). You can add a small amount of water to the pot before adding the spinach, but as the liquid in the leaves cooks out, the leaves will steam in their liquid. Stir with a wooden spoon to keep everything moving. As you cook it, the spinach will soften and turn a bright green color while reducing in volume quite dramatically. This might take 5 to 6 minutes or a bit longer. Plunge the cooked spinach leaves into a large bowl of ice water. This will stop the spinach from cooking and lock in that bright green color. Drain the ice water and squeeze the excess water from the spinach. Squeezing by hand, a handful at a time is the best way to do this. You can transfer each squeezed handful directly into the bowl of your food processor since the next step will be puréeing it.Meanwhile, heat the cream over medium heat. Let the cream reduce slightly while you’re squeezing the spinach. Purée the spinach in a food processor until it’s completely smooth. Return the puréed spinach to the pot and add the butter, cream, and cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until it’s hot. Season to taste with salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Serve right away. CHEF’S TIP *This luxurious spinach dish is best served with roasted chicken!