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Spinach, to Serve

This vegetable must be washed thoroughly in several waters to free it from grit. To do this lift it out of the water in both hands, a small quantity at a time. The stalk must be pulled from each leaf before boiling. Put the prepared spinach into an empty saucepan with a small tea-cupful of water, sprinkle a little salt over it, and stir it constantly to prevent burning. Boil the spinach till it becomes tender. Place the boiled spinach on a colander or sieve, press it, chop it on a clean board, put it into a saucepan, add butter and gravy or stock--taking care, however, not to thin it too much--and taste whether it is salt enough. Stir it over the fire till the liquid is absorbed, pile on a hot dish, and serve. Half an ounce of butter and one table-spoonful of cream or broth, will be enough for one pound of spinach. If cream a day old is to be obtained, we may finally incorporate a little flour with it, and add the whole to the spinach. To embellish this dish, cut milk bread into slices, forming the crust into points, fry in butter till yellow, prepare poached eggs, and serve the spinach, placing round it first an egg and then a crust alternately, sprinkling bread-crumbs over the vegetable itself.