Eggs Florentine

Serves 2 portions.

Ingredients

• 2 English muffins, halved
• 4 large eggs + 4 egg yolks
• 7 oz / 200 g baby spinach leaves
• 1 stick / 113 g butter (for the sauce) + 1 Tbsp / 15 g butter (for the spinach)
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• olive oil
• 1 cup / 250 ml white vinegar (or any light colored vinegar)
• 2 garlic cloves (diced or shredded - see recipe Instructions point 4)
• nutmeg
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

1. Place the English muffin halves on a cookie sheet (make sure to use baking sheet paper so that the muffins don't stick). Drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil, then place the muffins under the broiler for a few minutes, until they turn golden brown. If your oven doesn't have a broil setting, lightly toast the muffins in a non-stick frying pan.
2. While your muffins are cooking, let's poach some eggs! Mix 1 cup / 250 ml of water in a large bowl with 1 cup / 250 ml of vinegar. Break the eggs one at a time and gently place them in the bowl. Let them soak for about 10 minutes. Your eggs should now be covered in an opaque film, this means they are ready. Do not let the eggs sit in the vinegar water for too long, as this will give them a vinegary taste.
3. Bring a medium-sized, half-full pot of water to a simmer while your eggs are sitting in vinegar water (remember to check on those muffins!). Using a ladle, scoop out the eggs one at a time and gently put them in the pot. Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes while checking on the consistency of the yolk. When the eggs are to your liking, take them out using a ladle strainer and let them sit on a clean towel, to dry off any excess water.
4. In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbps / 15 g butter over medium heat. Now, if you only want a subtle garlic flavor, add the diced garlic now and cook it for about 1 minute (it's done when the garlic aroma becomes fragrant). However, if you want it to have a bit of a kick, then go ahead and skip this step.
5. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes until it wilts. If you haven't before, add now the shredded garlic and mix well. Take the skillet off the heat and sprinkle some ground nutmeg on top. Mix again and leave aside (You can cover the skillet to not let the spinach get cold).
6. Now we'll get the Hollandaise Sauce going. Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, so as to not burn it.
7. Separate 4 eggs and mix the yolks with a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender (you can also use a whisk or a hand mixer). Mix in the lemon juice, then slowly start adding the melted butter, one Tablespoon at a time (this will ensure our eggs won't curdle). Mix well each time after adding butter.
8. Once the butter has been incorporated, pour the mixture back into the saucepan (where you melted the butter) and cook on low heat for about 1 minute, while stirring constantly. Remove the saucepan from heat. (the sauce will thickens as it cools, so it's important to move fast for the next stage)
9. Place the broiled/toasted muffin halves on a serving plate and top each one with some spinach. Add one egg on top of each muffin half and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Pour some hollandaise sauce on each egg and serve while warm.

*Eggs Florentine are traditionally made with English muffins, however, you can substitute them with any bread you'd like. 

**See what other delicious dishes go well with Hollandaise Sauce here!