FOOD NEWS
You Don't Need Cream To Produce Delicious Creamed Spinach
By Julia Mullaney
Creamed spinach is typically made with spinach, cream, and parmesan cheese, but if you don't have any cream on hand, evaporated milk with a quick roux can work as a substitute.
The late author and cook Laurie Colwin took the unconditional route to creamy creamed spinach, making a quick roux with evaporated milk and adding jalapeños.
Making the roux the right thickness is the trick. In her cookbook, "Home Cooking," Colwin would combine evaporated milk with 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour.
Interestingly, the spinach liquid plays a role here, too, seemingly working with the milk to make sure the cream doesn't become too thick.
Whole milk works, too, but anything less fatty than 2% milk will leave you with a too-watery sauce. Combine it with a butter and flour roux, and it will thicken like heavy cream.
You can also use a blend of cream cheese and butter to give you that creamy texture. Since cream cheese is thicker than heavy cream, you can water it down with some spinach liquid.