Name: Spinach with Garlic Chips and Pepper Flakes
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 6 medium cloves garlic , sliced very thin (about 1/4 cup); 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 3 bags fresh spinach (10 ounces each), stemmed, washed thoroughly, and partially dried, with some water left clinging to leaves; Salt and ground black pepper

Why This Recipe Works

We investigated blanching, steaming, microwaving, and wilting when developing a great spinach recipe, and we agreed that wilting was the most straightforward method. To wilt the leaves in our spinach recipe, we placed them, still a little damp from washing, into a pot with a small amount of hot fat over medium-high heat and covered the pot. The water clinging to the leaves was all that was required to cook them, breaking down the huge volume of raw leaves to a manageable quantity of cooked spinach in just three to five minutes.

Before You Begin

Do not heat the oil before adding the garlic; heating them together over gentle heat helps reduce the risk of burnt, bitter garlic.

Instructions

Heat oil and garlic in large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden and very crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove garlic chips with slotted spoon to paper towel--lined plate. Add pepper flakes to oil; sauté until oil is flavored and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spinach; toss to combine with oil. Cover pot, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is tender and wilted but still bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, season with salt and pepper, and toss with reserved garlic chips.