Traditional Spinach Sauté

Why This Traditional Spinach Sauté Works

Once the garlic hits the warm oil, it starts to brown and soften. In that short minute, the sharp bite of raw garlic calms down, and the oil soaks up its taste. So when the spinach goes in, it’s not just touching plain oil, it’s touching oil that already carries garlic all through it.

As the spinach hits the hot pan, the leaves quickly shrink and let go of a lot of water. At first it looks like way too much spinach, but the heat drives out the moisture and the pile sinks down into a soft, silky mound. Tossing it in the pan keeps the spinach from burning on the bottom and spreads the garlic oil, salt, and pepper over every leaf instead of leaving some parts plain.

Right at the end, the lemon juice goes on while the spinach is still warm. The warm leaves soak in a bit of the lemon, which brightens the taste and cuts through any heaviness from the oil, so the spinach stays light instead of feeling greasy.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the garlic go past golden to dark brown in the oil quickly makes it bitter and harsh. The tiny burnt bits cling to the spinach leaves, so every bite tastes sharp and slightly burnt instead of mild and savory.

Crowding a small pan with a full pound of spinach at once can cause it to steam in its own water instead of sauté. The leaves then turn a dull, mushy green and sit in a puddle of liquid instead of staying glossy and lightly wilted.

Adding the lemon juice while the pan is still over the heat often makes the spinach give off even more water. The liquid at the bottom becomes sour and thin, and the leaves can turn slightly stringy instead of soft and silky.

Skipping the drying step after rinsing the spinach leaves leaves too much water on them. Once they hit the hot oil, the water cools the pan, the oil splatters, and the spinach ends up wet and slightly boiled instead of quickly sautéed.