eggs florentine – smitten kitchen

*Before you begin, this is the most important thing to check: Is the blade of your upright or immersion blender low enough to the bowl or cup you’re immersing it in that it can pick up just two egg yolks? If not, you’re going to have a very hard time getting the sauce emulsified. Don’t worry, you can still whisk it by hand (next directions).

In an upright blender or a bowl/glass for your immersion blender, blend the yolks at high speed until they’re combined and loosened up. Running the machine the whole time, drizzle in the melted butter a few drops at a time, then a spoonful at a time, and finally in a long, thin stream, until all of it is added. The sauce should have thickened quickly.

Make the hollandaise sauce by hand: Grab a medium-large bowl. I highly recommend placing it on a damp paper towel so that it stays in place while you whisk. Add the egg yolks to the bowl and whisk thoroughly until combined and loosened up. Whisking the whole time, begin drizzling the melted butter in a few drops at a time, then in a very thin stream. You’ll need to whisk the entire time you’re drizzling the butter in, ensuring none is left unmixed/pooling on top. When you’re done, the mixture should be fairly thick.

Finish the hollandaise, both methods: Season with kosher salt and half a tablespoon of lemon juice, then blend or whisk to combine. Taste again and add more salt, remaining lemon juice, and/or a dash or two of hot sauce, to taste. Transfer hollandaise to a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the spinach and eggs. If your kitchen runs cold, rest the bowl of hollandaise inside a larger bowl of lukewarm water.

Prepare the spinach: Put a small puddle of water in the bottom of a large skillet (we’ll use it again to toast the English muffins) and heat it over medium-high. Once the water is simmering, add the spinach and cook it until it is just wilted. Transfer it to a colander and press as much of the excess water out as possible, or you can wring it in fistfuls after it has cooled slightly.

Dry your skillet if it is still wet. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until they just turn golden brown at the edges. Return the spinach to the skillet and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir into the shallots, warming it. Transfer spinach-shallot mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Poach your eggs: [For more detailed instructions, read How To Poach An Egg, Smitten Kitchen-Style.] Heat a saucepan with a few inches of water in it. Add a splash of white vinegar, if you wish; some find that this helps the egg set. Place your first egg in a small dish; it’s always easier for me to tip the dish into the water vs. cracking the egg right into it. When the water is just below simmering — i.e. you’ll see tiny bubbles across the bottom of the pot but the surface is not bubbling; if your water has begun to simmer, reduce the heat so it stops — use a spoon or utensil to create a gentle whirlpool in the pot. Tip the egg into the whirlpool. Monitor the heat of the pot so that the water doesn’t come to a full simmer or boil. In 3 to 5 minutes, you’ll have a perfectly poached egg. I look for an egg that wobbles, but just a little, when nudged with the spoon. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan; repeat with remaining eggs. If you’re feeling more confident, you can poach two or three a time.

Toast your English muffins: Back in the large skillet you used to cook the spinach, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Split two of your English muffins open and place them face-down in the pan, letting them cook in the butter until golden brown. Repeat with more butter and remaining English muffins.

At last, assembly time: Arrange bottom half of toasted muffins on a platter and place a small pile of the sautéed spinach on top of each. Add a poached egg and finish with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the hollandaise. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of hot sauce, if you wish. Finish with top half of toasted English muffin and serve right away. Bask in the glow of your unparalleled cooking skills, and please don’t forget to invite me next time.

Do ahead: If you’d like to poach eggs ahead of time, it totally works. You can rewarm them by gently lowering them into a simmering pot of water for 30 to 60 seconds, or in a bowl of hot water for a couple minutes. Rewarming hollandaise sauce can be done, but it’s trickier because the emulsion can easily break. I like to place the bowl of hollandaise in a large bowl of warm-to-hot (but not steamy) tap water and attempt to whisk every minute or two until it’s loosened and smoothed out. When the water cools, replace it with more warm water.