Poached Eggs Florentine with Spinach and Kale

Poached Eggs Florentine with Spinach and Kale is gorgeous and yummy. The name nearly says it all, plus an English muffin and shredded cheese.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Assembly 5

Total Time 35

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Servings 4 - 1/2 Muffin Servings

2 English muffins each split in half
3/4 cup shredded Mexican style blend cheese or sharp cheddar (2 generous Tablespoons per 1/2 muffin)

Prepare. Gather all ingredients. Finely chop onions. Measure out spinach and kale mix. Split the muffins. Squeeze and measure the lemon juice.
9 ounces baby spinach and kale mix (about 12 cups), 2 English muffins each split in half, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon), 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
Yolks. Prep the egg yolks. Read all of this before beginning: to divide the yolk from the egg, crack the egg open over a bowl, but don’t let the egg fall into the bowl. Instead, use the two halves to ‘catch’ the yolk, tossing it back and forth between the shells until all the whites are removed. Reserve the yolks for the sauce. The whites could be used for a different recipe.
3 yolks (sauce)

Onions. In a small skillet, melt the salted butter. Saute the onions for 2-3 minutes over low heat until soft and translucent.
2 Tablespoons salted butter
Spinach and Kale. Add 1/3 of the spinach and kale mix to the onions and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes until soft but not completely wilted. Add the second 1/3 of greens, cook. Repeat with the last 1/3. Remove from heat and set the mix aside.
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (1/4 teaspoon for spinach mix, 1/4 teaspoon for sauce)

Note: Just so you know, I do my sauce backwards and over direct heat. It's simple and effective.
Butter. Melt the unsalted butter in a sauce-pan over low heat, stirring constantly so it does not burn. Remove the butter from the heat.
1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons)
Whip. Using a hand whisk in a bowl or immersion blender in a deep container, whip the yolks and lemon juice until about double in size and thick.
Whisk and Water. Place the butter back on low heat. While whisking, gradually pour the egg mix into the butter. This will look like oil and water not mixing... keep whisking until all the egg mix is in the butter. Continue to whisk over low heat. The sauce will start to combine but look 'broken', add 1 Tablespoon of water and continue whisking until the sauce pulls together and thickens. It will be a beautiful, creamy yellow. In total, about 1-2 minutes.
1 Tablespoon water
Season. Add to the sauce salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/8 teaspoon paprika
Caution: keep the heat low, if you start to get little 'chunks' of egg, you'll know the heat is too high. Just lower the heat, whisk them out and keep going.

Prep. I prefer to have my eggs waiting on me, so I would recommend cracking each egg into individual small bowls or measuring cups so that you can easily grab each to poach when ready.
4 whole eggs (poaching)
Water. Fill a large stock pot or pan with at least 5 inches of water.
Boil. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, use a large spoon to create a tornado in the water. **While waiting for the water to boil, lightly toast the muffins (or to your desired toastyness).**
Swirl. Carefully, lower the bowl or measuring cup close to the eye of the tornado without touching the water. Drop one egg into the eye of the tornado. Allow to cook 2-3 minutes or until preferred doneness. I like mine runny, so I tend to cook them for 2 minutes or less.
Note: If your eggs look 'feathery' or 'wispy' check that the water is boiling and spinning vigorously.
Scoop. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the egg out. Place it on a paper towel to remove the excess water. Create the tornado and repeat with each egg. Set them aside.

Sauce. Reheat the spinach and sauce for just a few minutes each.
Plate. To plate, for each 1/2 muffin (1 per person), place 1/4 of the spinach mix on the muffin half. Then, add cheese, one poached egg, and spoon over Hollandaise sauce.
3/4 cup shredded Mexican style blend cheese or sharp cheddar (2 generous Tablespoons per 1/2 muffin)
Cayenne. Dust with a pinch of cayenne if desired.
pinch of cayenne (optional)
Enjoy! Serve and enjoy immediately!

Keyword cheddar cheese, English muffins, hollandaise sauce