Spinach Steamed in a Hot Pot

A Hot Pot equipped with a steamer basket can do much more than the pot can do by itself.  Fresh spinach comes out tender and green, cleanup is minimal.

Spinach steamed in a Hot Pot inside a steamer basket

Insert a folding steamer basket into the Hot Pot. Add scant 2 cups water.
Stuff in as many spinach leaves as the pot will hold... just pile them up, because they will wilt as soon as they get hot.

Push the lid down and latch it. Turn on the heat to maximum. The pot will boil quickly.

After two minutes steaming, open to rearrange the contents, closed quickly.

Steam 2 more minutes, unplug the pot and allow to rest for 2 minutes.

Total steaming time 4 minutes plus 2 minutes more in the still-warm pot.

Pour off the water, then open and dump it upside down, steamer and all, onto a plate. (Don't try to lift out the steamer, which opens and becomes tippy without the sides of the pot holding it together.) Lift off the steamer and arrange spinach on the plate.  It will be green and beautiful!

Add salt and other seasonings to taste.  Butter is familiar.  Spinach is tasty with a drizzle of olive oil, too.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).