I first came across this recipe scrawled in the pages of an old journal given to me by a close friend. Dated 1846 and yellowed with time, its fragile pages describe farm chores coupled with the details of household management, favorite poems, and recipes like the one below, which specifies the use of young spinach, freshly picked, and, like most old recipes, provides few details on quantity. I’ve adapted the recipe, substituting white pepper for black. I make it often in the spring, when tender baby spinach arrives in our CSA box weekly, until the weather grows too hot and stifles the tender greens.
Cook time: PT30M
Rating
5 stars (2 reviews)
Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds spinach ((trimmed))
1 tablespoon salted butter
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 hard-boiled eggs ((peeled and minced))
Steps
Trim the spinach of any tough stems or veins, then coarsely chop the spinach leaves. Toss the spinach into a large, heavy stockpot. Set it on the stove over medium-low heat, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until completely tender.
Drain the wilted spinach in a colander, pressing it down to remove any excess liquid. Return the pot to the stove, add the butter, and melt over low heat. Toss in the spinach. Stir in the salt, white pepper, and minced egg, then serve.
Reviews
Karen on 2025-08-23 (5 stars): My mama use to make her spinach this way when I was a child. I'm making this tonight!
Karen on 2021-05-15 (5 stars): My husband loved it. I was making some trout and wanted a side dish that would compliment it. This was perfect. I used black pepper and added some left over mushrooms I had. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. I will definitely make it again.
