This ancient and common green leaf combined with wholesome eggs and sauce adds up to a famous breakfast delight: Eggs Florentine.
The featured green, spinach, hails from Southwestern Asia and was later cultivated by the Arabs. Spinach was known for a time as the Persian green and was a staple of European gardens.
It was often cooked in a mixture with other vegetables and used in salads, accompanied by fruits, nuts and pine nuts. For this recipe, prepare the Hollandaise sauce first.
Hollandaise sauce
3 egg yokes
1/2 cup butter (melted)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
A pinch of cayenne
Separate eggs and melt the butter. In a blender, combine egg yokes, lemon juice, salt, sugar and cayenne. Blend at a low speed until it is thickened and smooth, adding the hot butter gradually. Serve it warm on the eggs.
Eggs Florentine
4 cups spinach leaves
2 English muffins
4 large eggs
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper
Saute the spinach, making two cups by cooking it gradually in the butter. Add shallots, pepper and nutmeg. Toss in until crispy. Poach the eggs in a microwave egg poacher for about one minute.
Place half of a toasted English muffin on each of four plates and top with 1/2 cup of sauteed spinach. Place the eggs on the spinach and spoon the Hollandaise sauce over the open sandwich. Garnish with parsley and pepper.