Spinach is often a controversial vegetable that most people reluctantly eat for the health benefits, but it actually tastes incredible if it is cooked properly. Boiling spinach in water is the most common method to make it, but Arman Liew, a cookbook author and founder of The Big Man’s World, has recommended sautéing it in a small amount of butter instead for the best results.
Arman said: “I’m convinced anyone can learn to love spinach–even if your name isn’t Popeye. When lightly sautéed for a few minutes at high heat, you get tender, wilted spinach that retains its leafy texture. Plus, a little butter never hurt anyone.”
Spinach contains oxalic acid which can make it taste chalky when you eat it raw in a salad, and when it is boiled in water it breaks down which can make it very bitter.
However, cooking spinach with a fat like butter helps mellow out the natural bitterness in spinach, and then combining it with an acidic ingredient like lemons helps brighten up the flavour.
Sautéing spinach with the right seasoning helps give it a slightly sweet and earthy flavour, and will soften the leaves so you get a silkier texture rather than dealing with a mushy mess.
It should also be noted that when you boil spinach a lot of the vitamins can leach into the water, so sautéing helps preserve more nutrients as well as make it much tastier.
How to make spinach a lot more flavourful
You will need:
- Two bunches of spinach
- One lemon (or bottle of lemon juice)
- One tablespoon of butter
- One tablespoon of olive oil
- One clove of garlic (minced)
Instructions
To begin, place the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat, then wait for the pan to heat up.
Once the butter has fully melted, add the spinach, minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the spinach for two to three minutes until it has fully wilted. When the spinach is done, remove from the heat and pour over a drizzle of lemon juice.
Your spinach will taste a lot better. You can also serve it with parmesan cheese, bacon, spring onions or shallots if you want to add more flavour to this mouthwatering dish.