Egg Florentine

Egg Florentine is a delicious dish with an extraordinary taste when the additional ingredient of Dijon mustard is added! 

Egg Florentine serves 4

Ingrédients 

4 Large eggs

60g / 2oz butter

400g / 1lb baby spinach washed and dried 2 pinch of sugar

2tbsp white wine vinegar

Sauce Mornay (with mustard)

20g / 1oz butter

30g / 1,10oz plain flour 350ml / 1 1/2 cup milk

2 egg yolk

30ml / 2 tbsps of cream

60g / 2 oz Comté or Emmenthal cheese, grated

30g / 1 oz Comté or Emmenthal cheese, grated to finish 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard

Salt, papper and freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Make the sauce by melting the butter in a small pan over low heat, add the flour, stir with a whisk bringing  it to the boil over a medium heat - let it boil for 2 minutes. Pour in the cold milk and whisk it well over medium heat, and let it slowly cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly.

Mix the egg yolks and cream together and add to the sauce and warm it up for 30 sec.

Remove from the heat and add the grated cheese. Season with mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

The Spinach;  melt half of the butter in a pan over high heat and let it foam sauté half of the spinach, sprinkle with salt and sugar and let it cook for a little minute , pour it into a colander and repeat the process with the remaining butter and spinach and into the colander .

Put the cream into the pan and add the spinach, flavour it with nutmeg and set aside in a warm place cover it with a lid.

Poaching the eggs by putting the water in a medium pan or pot add the vinegar and bring it up to the boil . Crack an egg into a small bowl and slowly pour it into the water and let it poach for 2-3 minutes. As soon as they are poached put them on a tea towel and and trim it so it's nice.

Preheat the top grill

Divide the spinach between warmed individual egg dishes. Place a poached egg in the middle of each dish, coat generously with mornay sauce and sprinkle with the 30g / 1oz grated cheese.Brown under the hot grill until a light brown colour, then serve immediately. 

Options; instead of spinach you can use mushrooms, you can also put a slice of smoked salmon on to the spinach and put the poached egg on top and then add the sauce.