Spinach and Potato Saute
Before I began blogging, I bought a how-to book: blogging for luddites. It covered all the basics: posting regularly, how to shoot pictures for a blog (the thing I feared most, believe it or not), SEO, advertising, newsletters.
I didn’t follow most of the author’s advice, but found the book informative, save a few crucial omissions. Nowhere, for example, was there advice on handling worldly crises. No discussion of what to say when somebody opened fire in a supermarket, or machine gunned people at a country music show, or bombed a marathon. Nothing about addressing political issues, either, like what to say when a president is voted out office but refuses to leave, or when his buddy invades the nation next door.
I mean, what do you say? Here’s some spinach?
I honestly don’t know. Saying nothing is insensitive to the point of outrage. But then again, what is there to add?
So….here’s some spinach. We need to keep our strength up.
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About the chicken fat. Some of you think chicken fat is bad. Nothing I say will change your thinking, so I won’t try. Use olive oil, use butter, but whatever you do, don’t use some ersatz fat from a tub or spray can.The dish will suffer. More importantly, so will your health.
And look, in this time of total lunacy, chicken fat is the least of our problems.
Moving on to the potatoes. You want a waxy type here, as baking potatoes will crumble while cooking. Peeling isn’t necessary. Just scrub well.
Your potatoes will require pre-cooking. As it hasn’t rained in California since October, I pre-cook my potatoes in the microwave. If you live in a place where water falls from the sky on a regular basis, feel free to parboil your spuds.
I confess to using bagged spinach, as it is pre-washed. I do this for the same reason I microwave potatoes: getting spinach grit-free is a water-intensive endeavor. Better to purchase it washed.
Spinach and potato sauté comes comes together quickly, and cooks in minutes. It will come to no harm if left over low heat for an hour or so, a good thing these days, as many of us are staring at our phones and losing track of time.
Serve spinach and potato sauté as a side dish to something plain, like a simple piece of fish or chicken, or let it be the meal itself, with a loaf of bread and a green salad.
Spinach and Potato Sauté
Yield: about 3 servings
Prep time: about 10 minutes
Please read notes, below, before cooking.
2 tablespoons chicken fat
2-4 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and roughly chopped
6-8 small waxy potatoes; mine weighed 10 ounces/300grams
Approximately 10 ounces/283 grams baby spinach
about a tablespoon Vermouth or other dry white wine
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
salt and pepper
Juice of one lemon
Pre-cook the potatoes. I microwave them due to drought: pierce them at least once to avoid explosions. Two minutes is enough in my microwave. Allow the potatoes to cool enough to handle, then cut or chop roughly into smallish pieces.
I use a 3 quart/liter La Chamba pot to prepare this dish, but any saute pan or saucepan will work; keep in mind that spinach cooks down.
Melt the fat over medium low heat. Add the garlic and allow it cook a few minutes without taking color. You don’t want it to fry. Turn the heat down if necessary.
Add the potatoes and turn them in the chicken fat. Add the spinach. You may need to add it in batches. Once it’s all the pot, add the paprika, salt, pepper, and liquor. Stir to blend everything, then add the lemon.
Let everything cook for a few minutes. You shouldn’t need to add liquid, but if you do, more Vermouth or even water is fine. Taste for seasoning, then serve.
Spinach and Potato Sauté will hold over very low heat for about an hour.
Serve as a side dish with simple chicken or fish dishes, or as a light main dish with rice, a green salad, or a loaf of bread.
Spinach and Potato Sauté will keep refrigerated, up to five days. Do not freeze. Leftovers are delicious–I know this sounds weird–as a sandwich. Try it.
Notes:
Instead of peeling the potatoes, I scrub them well.
As noted in the post, animal fats are controversial. If chicken fat makes you gasp, use olive oil or butter.
I used bagged, pre-washed spinach, which is sold in 10 ounce/283 gram bags in the United States.
The lemon juice counters the chicken fat’s richness.
As I was writing this post, Russia invaded Ukraine. The next post will offer ways to support Ukraine.
