French cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Eggs Florentine

Poached eggs on creamed spinach, covered in cheesy mornay sauce and gratinated golden brown in the oven.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 eggs
• 1 kg spinach
• 40 g butter
• 40 g flour
• 500 ml milk
• 100 g grated gruyère
• 1 shallot
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the spinach, remove the coarse stems and finely dice the shallot; preheat the oven to 200 °C top/bottom heat.
2. Melt 10 g of the butter in a wide pan, sweat the shallot for 2 min. until translucent, wilt the spinach in batches and let steam uncovered for 5 min. until no more liquid remains.
3. Melt the remaining butter, stir in the flour and sweat lightly for 2 min., then gradually pour in the milk stirring constantly and simmer for 5-6 min. into a smooth, coating sauce.
4. Melt two-thirds of the gruyère into the hot sauce and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper - this turns the béchamel into a mornay.
5. Bring plenty of water with the white wine vinegar to 90 °C, slide the eggs in one at a time and poach for 3 min. each until the white is set and the yolk still runny; drain on kitchen paper.
6. Put the spinach in a baking dish, place the eggs on top, pour the mornay over, sprinkle with the remaining gruyère and gratinate for 8-10 min. until the surface is golden brown.