Thai Spinach with Black Pepper and Garlic

Inspiration:
Spinach from our CSA and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic

• 8 to 10 cups loosely packed fresh spinach leaves (about 20 ounces)

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or white pepper

• 1/4 cup water

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or a wok over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, and then add the garlic. Toss well and add the spinach. Gently turn the pile of spinach to heat most of the leaves. (Add it in 2 or 3 batches if your pan won’t hold all the leaves at first).
   
2. Add the fish sauce or salt,the sugar, pepper and water. Toss well, and then cook, turning often, until the spinach is barely wilted and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn out onto a deep platter, sauce and all, and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes:
"This is my version of the classic Thai dish, pahk boong fai daeng, made with pahk boong, a leafy, hollow-stemmed Asian vegetable known as water spinach. In Thailand, pahk boong is fried over such a hot fire that flames leap out of the wok as the chef toss the greens. My home version will give you most of the fantastic flavor without the unwieldy fire, using a sack of prepared spinach from your grocery store produce section. Forget how health-full spinach is for us – make this just because it tastes so good."


My Notes:
The fish sauce was a bit too much. I didn't care for this.

Tim's Rating: 7/10
Liz's Rating: 6/10