Adapted from a recipe by Emeril Lagasse.
~from Savoring Time in the Kitchen
Serves 2-4 depending on how much you love creamed spinach keeping in mind how much fresh spinach shrinks after cooking)
2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup fat free half and half (light cream)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon garlic, thinly sliced and then chopped
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups fat free milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper if you have it, otherwise freshly ground black pepper is just fine
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup grated Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Fill a very large pot 2/3 full with water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with very cold water to stop the cooking. Squeeze out as much water as possible, either with your hands or place the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and twist the ends tightly. Finely chop the spinach and set aside.
In a small saucepan, add the fat free half and half and bring to a low boil. Remove from the heat.
In large, heavy saucepan (large enough to hold the cooked spinach), melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped shallots and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft for about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until a very light brown roux forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream, stirring constantly with a whisk, and cook until thick, for about 1 minute. Add the seasonings and simmer on low heat for about 3 minutes. Add the hot cream, whisking constantly, and cook for another 1 minute. Fold in the grated cheeses and mix until smooth. Add the spinach, mix well and heat until completely warmed through.
Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve immediately.