Épinards au Beurre et à l'Ail
Épinards au Beurre et à l'Ail·(ay-pee-nar oh burr eh ah lye)
Chapter 3 — The Sides
To recreate the dense, glossy spinach that arrives alongside steak frites at a proper American French bistro, the cook must respect the hidden labor of the kitchen. Dropping raw leaves straight into hot butter yields a watery, astringent mess. The genuine brasserie technique demands breaking the spinach down first, violently squeezing away its bitter vegetation water, and only then introducing the dry greens to foaming cultured butter, toasted garlic, and a whisper of fresh nutmeg. It asks for conviction and good dairy, but it delivers absolute restaurant-level magic.
Before you start
Wilt and squeeze the spinach up to two days in advance.
The crucial essorage step can be completed ahead of time; simply keep the squeezed, dry spinach balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready for the final sauté.
Ingredients
- mature flat-leaf spinach2 lb
- cultured French butter4 tbsp
- garlic2 med cloves
- fresh whole nutmeg1 pinch
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- fresh lemon juice1 tsp
Method
- 01
Wilt the wet spinach in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the spinach in batches if necessary, turning continuously with tongs until the massive pile collapses into a dark green fraction of its original volume, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- 02
Shock the wilted greens with cold water and vigorously squeeze out the liquid.
Transfer the spinach to a colander and run cold water over it for ten seconds so it can be handled. Take handfuls of the spinach and squeeze them with absolute conviction to extract as much of the dark green vegetation water as physically possible.
- 03
Chop the dense spinach balls into coarse ribbons.
If you skip the squeezing step or fail to chop the resulting mass, the final dish will be a watery puddle rather than a glossy bistro side.
- 04
Melt the cultured butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it foams and smells faintly nutty.
The butter must be a premium European-style with at least 83 percent fat; standard American butter contains too much water and will not properly coat the greens.
- 05
Toast the sliced garlic for thirty seconds, then immediately add the chopped spinach.
Vigorously toss the dry greens with tongs so they instantly absorb the brown butter and take on a brilliant, glossy sheen.
- 06
Season the spinach with salt, pepper, and a singular swipe of fresh nutmeg across a microplane.
Toss once more, adding a drop of lemon juice if the richness needs cutting, and serve immediately on a hot plate.
Notes
Sourcing the right spinach is non-negotiable.
Seek out large, sturdy bunches of mature spinach; plastic clamshells of baby spinach lack the necessary cellular structure and will turn into a mushy paste during the wilting phase.
The Balthazar gratin pivot.
To push this dish into pure indulgence, place the finished spinach in a shallow gratin dish, top with breadcrumbs and shredded Gruyère, and broil until bubbling and deeply browned.