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Spinach, Plainly Dressed

Pick the leaves from the stalks, and wash the spinach in several waters to free it from sand and grit. Put it into a large saucepan with as much water only as will keep it from burning; add a small spoonful of salt, and turn it frequently till it is quite tender. Drain it on a colander, squeeze it dry, chop it small, and add pepper and salt. Put it, when thus chopped, again into the colander with a small piece of butter, place this upon a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and turn the spinach about that the steam passing through the holes of the colander may dry the vegetable. When hot and quite dry, serve immediately. Sometimes fried sippets of bread are put round the spinach, or bread fried and cut into dice is sprinkled upon it. Time to boil the spinach, ten minutes or more, according to the age of the leaves. Probable cost, 3d. to 6d. per pound. Sufficient, two pounds for four or five persons.