Let's rehabilitate spinach


Let's rehabilitate spinach
We are currently (as I write this) in the season of fresh spinach, and it is a delicious vegetable that unfortunately has a bad reputation among a lot of people, children and teenagers in particular.

I wonder if this lack of appetite isn't due to what I call, probably unfairly, "school food spinach"? That is to say a rather tasteless green purée, of a very unappetizing aspect, and that most children know, alas. And it's a pity, because spinach, well prepared, not chopped, is both delicious and healthy (but with little iron, despite Popeye, a little reference for those who were born before 1980).

But for spinach to stay good, you have to buy it in season, right now, close to home if possible, and prepare and cook it with care, that is to say very briefly.

You don't know how to do it? No problem, I'll show you.
5,180 4.8/5 (15 reviews)
Grade this page:
Keywords for this post:SpinachCookingRecipeMethodBlanching
Last modified on: May 7th 2021
For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend
Let's rehabilitate spinach

The preparation

This is not very complicated, we treat them a bit like salad: plunged in cold water with vinegar to wash them, you drain, and it's finished.
It's a matter of taste, but if, like me, you don't like the hard part of the spinach leaf, the vein, you can remove it by pulling on it and put it in the compost, it separates from the leaf quite easily.
Well no mystery, it's a lot of work, you have to do it leaf by leaf, but the result is worth your efforts.

épinards retrait nervure centrale



Note that from now on (put them through the salad spinner first) you can already eat the spinach raw, in a salad for example, alone or with other things, it is already very good. It can also replace salad, for example in the burgers we talked about not long ago.

Cooking ways

There are 2 main ways to cook them:

1) Fallen ("Tombés" in French)

This is a rather simple method, rather fast: You put a large frying pan on high heat, with a big knob of butter or a little olive oil, and when all this is quite hot you put a good big packet of prepared spinach leaves in the pan.
Be careful it crackles a lot because of the water left on the leaves, you stir the leaves a bit and they will "fall", that is to say cook, in 2 or 3 minutes maximum.
Put aside, and repeat the operation until all your spinach falls.

épinards pour une tombée épinards tombés




2) Blanching

A little longer method: You boil a big pot of salted water, and you plunge in a big packet of prepared spinach leaves, stir a little and as soon as the boiling starts again, it's cooked (2 minutes max).
Remove from the water with a skimmer or spider and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking.
Drain once cooled, then pass to the salad spinner to dry. You can also consult these detailed explanations.

cuisson des épinards refroidissement rapide des épinards essorage des épinards



Whatever the cooking method you have chosen, the spinach prepared in this way is ready to be used in the recipe of your choice. It retains its beautiful emerald-coloured leafy appearance, especially when blanched, and its delicate taste.

As for the recipes, it is also a matter of taste, but spinach can be used in many recipes, whether raw or cooked!

I can't resist the pleasure of recommending an association that works incredibly well, it's fresh spinach with cream: For example a simple omelette in which you put cooked spinach, or spinach with cream and served with slices of hard-boiled eggs, a delight!

Tosum up: Eating spinach in season, prepared and cooked with care, is the guarantee of delicious seasonal recipes.

Lasts posts
Travel cakes
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.
January 27th 20252,346
The aromatic power of sugar
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...
December 25th 20242,7115
The little trap of thick cream
The little trap of thick cream
When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...
December 13th 20243,1945
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness. But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are...
November 29th 20243,3315
No need to boil gelatin
No need to boil gelatin
Gelatin is a magical ingredient for making light, creamy, structured desserts, yet it's often misused in the kitchen. A common mistake in some recipes is the idea that it needs to be boiled for it to work properly, but this is a mistake indeed: gelatin melts at a much lower temperature, around...
November 21th 20243,2855
Other pages you may also like
Burgers and cheeses
Burgers and cheeses
A quick look at burgers(article from 2 weeks ago), and in particular the cheese in burgers, many of you have asked me about this, and how to get cheese to melt in your burgers.
April 24th 20216,5284.8
A stable cutting board
A stable cutting board
As soon as you have something to cut in the kitchen, the best thing to do is to use a cutting board, it protects your table or work surface, and their material is made to protect the edge of your knife, that is to say that it is soft enough, in short it is the ideal thing. But simply put on the...
May 22th 20216,5265
What happens to the bread when you make it?
What happens to the bread when you make it?
This bread that we eat every day, and that our baker makes for us, what happens during its manufacture so that it becomes bread? I will try to answer this question, and to summarize the complex alchemy that takes place.
May 28th 202111 K4.9
In praise of the whetstone
In praise of the whetstone
Have you ever seen a butcher or a chef sharpen his knife before using it? Usually he uses a special tool, a long thin cylinder made of very hard metal. And in a smooth and elegant gesture, he very quickly passes the edge of the knife against the rifle, which makes a very characteristic noise,...
June 5th 20217,7294.8
Egg whites management
Egg whites management
Quite often, in cooking or pastry-making, we have recipes that use only egg yolks: gâteau breton (brittany butter cake), confectioner's custard, spaghetti carbonara, etc. And so, inevitably, we end up with unused egg whites that will have to be used elsewhere, in another recipe, and certainly...
June 12th 20218,2344.9
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page