Brunch Everlasting
October 23, 2005
In my continued quest for good eats, I have come upon a simplified hollandaise recipe (a faux bernaise sauce if you will) for delicious eggs Florentine. I have made this recipe several times and have perfected it for any cook. Beware: this recipe calls for a "fancy" cooking technique that you beginners may have trouble with. Don't try it out unless you have time and an extra dozen eggs in the fridge.
Eggs Florentine is an excellent breakfast/lunch time and perfect for lazy Saturday and Sunday mornings. If you are a vegetarian, this is for you. If you hate spinach, simply substitute the spinach for a slice of ham for Eggs Benedict.
Serving size: For 2 people or one really hungry person
What you will need:
- grab 1 dozen eggs (brown large),
- 2 English Muffins (you can also use day old baguette or any other bread if you'd like),
- 1 bunch washed and chopped spinach (not frozen) or ham,
- 1 tomato,
- 4 tbsp of cream,
- 3 tbsp butter,
- salt, pepper, Tobasco sauce or the like,
- vinegar (white, to cook eggs),
- parsley (optional).
Cookware: small sauce pot for poaching eggs, medium sauce pot for the sauce, a glass bowl that fits over the medium sauce pot, one skillet for the spinach or ham, wire whisk and 2 small bowls.
Step One: I like to start out by filling my pots halfway with water and bringing them to a smooth boil (note: not raging). Place the glass bowl over the medium sauce pot.
Step Two: If cooking spinach, wash it and then wash it again. Drain really well and throw into the skillet (no extra water or oil needed here) with a dash of salt and pepper on medium-low heat with a lid or piece of foil covering the pan. Cook this until slightly wilted and turn this off (takes about 3 minutes to cook if the pan is hot enough and the lid is on). Keep the pan of spinach covered, turn off the burner and leave it for now (as the pan cools, the spinach still steams b/c it is covered and the pan is hot).
Step Three: Do you know what a poached egg is? If you hate fried eggs, try poached eggs (like a boiled egg, but with a very soft center and out of the shell). You need to add one teaspoon of vinegar to the small pot of boiling water. Carefully crack your egg into the pot. If you are a beginner, I suggest cracking it into a small bowl first and then gently pouring the egg (without breaking the yolk) into the pot. (If you don't have vinegar, you can place a large slotted spoon in the water and place the egg on top so it doesn't lose its shape) Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the whites are cooked. Take a slotted spoon and gently lift the egg out of the water and place it onto a plate; cover the plate with foil to keep egg warm. Repeat this four times for four eggs.
Tip: If you suck at making poached eggs or any eggs besides scrambled ones, try the cheat method here. Instead of poaching, take a skillet and set the temp on medium. Cut your English muffin in half, lightly butter each side and cut out a small circle in the middle of each half. Place these muffins on the hot pan and crack one egg into each muffin (the yolk gravitates to the center hole without breaking). Cook this on each side for about 1-2 minutes, depending on how you like your yolks. Place these cooked muffin-eggs onto plates and put the spinach on top of this. This is the cheat method only, so skip to the sauce now.
Step Three: While you are waiting for those eggs to cook, you can cook the faux hollandaise. To begin, place 3 tblsp of butter into that hot glass bowl placed over the pot of bowling water. Then, take out 5 eggs. Separate the yolk from the white. You can do this by cracking the egg into a bowl (not the one on the stove) and using your hand to scoop out the yolks (spoons never work for this). Place the yolks into another clean bowl. After all five egg yolks are done, add 4 tblsps of heavy whipping cream or half and half, 1 tsp of salt, pepper to taste, and a couple dashes of Tobasco sauce. Whip this up real well with a wire whisk. Add a handful of chopped parsley if desired. Gently pour this mixture into the hot glass bowl with the butter on the stove. Whisk and whisk and whisk for about 5-7 minutes. If you don't keep an eye on this, it will curdle up like scrambled eggs. You have to whisk this constantly and if you are poaching the eggs at the same time, you should pay attention to your sauce. This sauce will get thick and turn a darker yellow when cooked. Take the sauce off the stove when done.
Step Four: Toast your muffins and cut them in half. Each muffin gets a healthy scoop of spinach (or slice of ham), and an egg on top. Immediately place the sauce over the top of this (the sauce is still cooking even though you took it off the stove because the bowl is hot). Serve this with slices of tomatoes if you like.
Yummy. Eat it up. Don't forget to turn off the stove when you are done.
