Eggs Florentine Breakfast Sandwich Recipe

Eggs Florentine is a close cousin to eggs Benedict and, in recipe developer Tamara Palmer's words, is typically "a fancy brunch dish that you need to sit down and eat with a knife and a fork." Here, however, she's taking the basic elements of poached eggs, spinach, hollandaise, and English muffins and assembling them in sandwich form instead. What makes this dish less messy than the standard version of eggs Florentine is the fact that the hollandaise used here is more of a thick spread than a sauce, while the eggs are poached a bit longer than is typical in order to make them less runny.

While you do need to put a little effort into proper egg poaching and making the hollandaise, Palmer assures us that "this sandwich is easy to make on the spot." She also notes that most of the ingredients –- the spread, the spinach, and even the poached eggs –- can be cooked ahead of time and used to make sandwiches on the following day. She does caution, however, that the crispy spinach is something you need to make shortly before eating the sandwiches as it doesn't retain its crunch overnight.

For the sandwich, you'll need some fresh spinach, olive oil spray, butter, salt, lemon juice, eggs (some whole ones and some just for the yolks), white vinegar (the plain distilled kind), and English muffins. You can also add a pinch of cayenne if you'd like to spice things up a bit, although it isn't necessary.

Preheat the oven to 200 F. No, this is not a typo –- the crispy spinach leaves cook at a very low temperature. Take a dozen leaves and lay them out on an oil-sprayed, paper-lined baking sheet, then spray them with more oil. Cook them for 10 to 15 minutes until they are dried out and crumbly. "The crispy spinach," Palmer says, "is a quick extra step in this recipe that's well worth taking." She suggests that any leftovers (or planned-overs) can be used on popcorn or seafood.

Spritz the rest of the raw spinach with oil. Cook it on the stovetop over low heat until it wilts, stirring all the while.

Melt the butter over low heat, then add the lemon juice and egg yolks once it starts bubbling. Sprinkle in the cayenne, too, if you like. Stir the mixture until it thickens slightly, which should take about 3 to 5 minutes. The spread will continue to thicken as it cools, too, and Palmer notes that it "is likely going to be lumpy when you make it," but she reassures us "there won't be any flavor inconsistencies in the result, as long as you're careful not to burn it."

Season the spread with salt once it's done cooking, then let it cool down for at least 10 minutes before you use it to make the sandwiches.

And now for the tricky part: the egg poaching. Fill a pot with 6 to 8 cups of water, then crank up the heat until it starts to boil. Crack one egg into a bowl, plate, cup, jar lid, or what have you, but do not break the yolk. Add the vinegar to the water once it starts to boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Swirl the liquid to create a vortex, using a spoon, form, or whisk, then drop the egg into this vortex. Poach the egg for 3 minutes to create a firm enough egg that the sandwich won't be so messy. You can, of course, take it out early for a softer yolk, but the sandwich will be a bit drippy if you do.

Once egg Number 1 is done, take it out of the water, then repeat the poaching process with the remaining eggs.

Toast the English muffins; Palmer advises that "a crispier toasting holds everything together well in this application." Divide the cooked spinach between four muffin bottoms, then top the spinach with an egg and three of the crispy spinach leaves. Plop another muffin half on top of each sandwich, then cut the sandwiches in half to make them easier to eat.