I was looking for a quick and easy vegetable recipe, and came across a recipe for Spinach (French Style) in a hundred-year-old cookbook, and decided to give it a try. The spinach was served in a chicken broth sauce lightly flavored with nutmeg and grated lemon rind.
Here’s the original recipe:
I’m a bit befudled by this recipe. It calls for one peck of spinach. I think a peck is equal to eight quarts. That sounds like a huge amount of spinach- though I know that it wilts down a lot when cooked. In any case, I decided to use a 10-ounce package of frozen spinach when I made the recipe, though may be way off on the amount.
I think that the recipe calls for one-teaspoon of both salt and pepper – though am not positive. That also seemed like a lot, so I used 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. The recipe doesn’t give amounts for the nutmeg and lemon rind. I used 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Spinach, French Style
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (peel)
2/3 chicken broth
Cook spinach following package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour, powdered sugar, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and grated lemon rind. Gradually, add the chicken broth while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until it thickens. Stir in the spinach. Heat until hot and bubbly. Remove from heat.
How was it?
I am wondering that also Sheryl! You usually say if you like it or not. I prepare spinach from fresh, and a 10 ounce size container will cook down to about 2 servings. I am guessing this was a “family size” serving based on the amounts of spices, butter, etc. I am really curious now to try this, but pretty sure I would have to eliminate that tsp of powdered sugar! I know the large leaf spinach can be a little bitter, so maybe it is like adding sugar to turnip, collard, or mustard greens?
It was yummy, and reminded me a lot spinach that has been cooked down, but with the essence of nutmeg. The original recipe probably was for a family-sized serving for a fairly large family. It’s interesting how recipes a hundred-years-ago generally didn’t give the number of servings. The person using the recipes are left to guess whether to make a full recipe, or halve it (or double it), etc.
The recipe call for a such a small amount of powdered sugar (1 teaspoon) that I don’t think that it would have much of an effect on the flavor, so wonder why it was included – though maybe it would be enough to reduce bitterness.
Good to know it was good, and a little different. Growing up, I hated mustard, collard, or turnip greens, until I ate them cooked by women from the deep south. I suspect that is because they had to figure out ways to make it more palatable. It is my experience until you have eaten greens cooked by women in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi (possibly Louisiana, but I have no experience from there) you do not know what you have missed.
Do authentic southern greens contain ham, bacon, or smoked pork? I picture that they do – but have little direct knowledge.
All the ones I have eaten do. Either bacon, a bit of fatback, ham hock, turkey necks. I have eaten them flavored with bacon grease and no added meat. The pot likker is part of my favorite flavors, and the meat gives it a little more “oomph.” My colleague and friend from work could make the most incredible greens!
Yes, it was tasty. It is very similar to just plain boiled spinach, but jazzed up a bit with the chicken broth, nutmeg, and lemon rind.
I just might like spinach this way! My mother always added vinegar to her spinach and always used canned – it was awful!!!
You should give it a try. The spinach in this recipe has the texture of fully cooked spinach, but the taste seems like it would be different from spinach with vinegar added.
A peck is an awful lot of spinach! There would probably be leftovers. I do love a bit of nutmeg with just about any green like this.
But you could eat them for days without having to do more than reheat!
That is true!
🥬
That may be how cooks thought about it when they made a recipe that called for a peck of spinach. There’s something to be said (maybe) for foods that last a long time.
Sounds very interesting. I like the idea of lemon and nutmeg flavorings.
The lemon and nutmeg are a nice twist on the usual way of preparing spinach.
A form of spinach sauce, or a dip sounds delicious
I tend to think of this recipe as a side dish – though it might work as a sauce or dip.