“Florentine” seems to be the vague describer of anything with spinach. I never knew that spinach and Florence were that closely connected but that seems to be the case. Is it the birth place of spinach? Or just the first place they thought to put eggs and spinach together? Who knows? All I know is that it’s a pretty yummy combo.
If you look up recipes for Eggs Florentine you will find a pretty wide variety. Everybody has their own little spin. But usually, it’s some sort of riff off Eggs Benedict. There is some sort of bread, spinach, poached eggs, and some sort of sauce – sometimes it’s hollandaise, some times Mornay, or something else.
I usually make this just for me, so cooking up a fancy sauce for one isn’t always practical. Instead, I usually mix together a quickie sauce that in actuality is closer to a salad dressing. It’s a little lighter, and definitely quicker. And if you don’t want to mess with it, honestly sometimes I just skip it altogether.
April’s Eggs Florentine
1-2 pieces of sourdough bread (usually the sourdough I buy is giant so I just cut one piece in half)
1/2 tsp. vinegar (any kind)
2 eggs
1/2 cup baby spinach
1 tsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
Dash of dill
Dash of cayenne
1 tsp. lemon juice
In a small skillet, add a pinch of salt and vinegar to about an inch of water. Bring to a boil. Break eggs into the water and turn down to medium. Cover. Stick the bread in the toaster. When the toast pops up, the eggs should be done. Scatter fresh spinach on top of toast and, using a slotted spoon or spatula, lift eggs, let water drain off, and place onto spinach. In a small bowl mix mayo, dijon, dill, cayenne and lemon juice. Drizzle over the top of eggs and serve.