Yields 4 Servings
Ingredients:
4 cups of fresh spinach – this ingredient is only for egg Florentine
2 teaspoons white vinegar
4 fresh large eggs – tip to use fresh eggs below
4 English muffins, split and toasted to taste
Hollandaise sauce:
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
In a skillet over medium-high heat, sautee spinach and set aside.
Fill a large saucepan with about 4-5 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Pour in the vinegar. Carefully break the eggs and add into the water one at a time, and cook for 3 minutes, until the whites are set but yolks are still soft. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.
Tips:
Shallow dishes will create a flat poached egg.
Create a vortex inside the pan before dropping each egg.
For best results use fresh eggs, you can tell when the white is NOT runny and remains close to the yolk after you break them.
If you wish to use the eggs later, poach them for 2 minutes and microwave later for 30 seconds.
Meanwhile, to prepare the Hollandaise sauce - vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless-steel bowl until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the egg benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk
in a few drops of warm water before serving.
Place open English muffins onto serving plates. Top with spinach (if desired) and 1 poached egg. Drizzle with the Hollandaise sauce, and serve at once.
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Additional Tips:
Fine Mesh Sieve: This is the one tip that consistently produced the BEST
poached egg. When you crack an egg you’ll notice that there’s a firmer white
and a more liquidy white. Well, that liquidy white is what creates all those
white wispies. So add the egg to a fine mesh sieve/strainer and the thinner,
more liquid white is removed, leaving only the firmer white which will envelop
the yolk.
Deep Pot of Water: Use a pot with at least 4-inches of water which produced a more classical spherical or teardrop shape. The is because as the egg falls in the water, the yolk sinks first and the white trails behind. You can still make poached eggs in a more shallow pot, but the shape will be flatter – similar to a fried egg.
Ramekin: Crack the egg first into a ramekin, then pour the egg into the water. Using a ramekin ensures that your egg is: 1) properly cracked with an unbroken yolk, 2) there’s no shell in the egg, and 3) you can more easily pour the egg in one swift move. Now, combine this method with the fine mesh sieve and you’ve got a winning combo.
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