Eggs Sardou

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium saucepan for double boiler
• •Heatproof mixing bowl
• •Wire whisk
• •Large skillet for spinach
• •Wide, deep skillet for poaching
• •Slotted spoon
• •Small ramekins for cracking eggs

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the hollandaise base

   Fill a medium saucepan with two inches of water and bring to a bare simmer. Place egg yolks and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl that fits over the pan without touching the water. Whisk constantly until the yolks thicken and you can see the bottom of the bowl between strokes, about three minutes. The mixture should coat a spoon and hold ribbons when you lift the whisk. Remove from heat immediately.

   If your yolks start to look scrambled at the edges, you've gone too hot. Pull the bowl off the heat and whisk in a tablespoon of cold water to cool things down.
2. 2

   Emulsify the butter

   With the bowl off the heat, begin adding warm melted butter in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly. Go slowly at first, just drops, until the sauce begins to thicken and emulsify. Once it looks creamy and stable, you can pour a bit faster. Season with cayenne, white pepper, and salt. Taste and add more lemon if needed. The sauce should be bright, rich, and coat a spoon without running off. Cover with a lid and set aside in a warm spot.

   If your hollandaise breaks and looks oily and separated, start fresh with one egg yolk in a clean bowl. Whisk it over the warm water, then slowly drizzle in your broken sauce. It will come back together.
3. 3

   Prepare the creamed spinach

   Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about two minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, thirty seconds more. Add spinach in batches, letting each handful wilt before adding the next. The spinach will reduce dramatically. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg as you go.

   Fresh spinach looks like a mountain but cooks down to almost nothing. A full pound yields about one cup of cooked greens. That's the bayou way: start with abundance.
4. 4

   Finish the spinach with cream

   Once all spinach is wilted, pour in the heavy cream. Let it bubble and reduce for three to four minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream clings to the spinach rather than pooling in the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning. The spinach should be silky, garlicky, and rich without being heavy. Keep warm over very low heat.

5. 5

   Warm the artichoke bottoms

   Drain your artichoke bottoms and pat them dry. Warm them gently in a small skillet with a tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat, turning once. Season lightly with salt. You want them warmed through but not browned, about three minutes total. Set aside and keep warm.

6. 6

   Set up for poaching

   Fill a wide, deep skillet or sauté pan with about three inches of water. Add the white wine vinegar and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer where small bubbles rise lazily from the bottom. You want 180 degrees or so. A rolling boil will tear your eggs apart. Crack each egg into its own small cup or ramekin.

   The fresher your eggs, the tighter they will poach. Old eggs have loose whites that spread into wispy threads. If your eggs are more than a week old, strain them through a fine-mesh sieve first to remove the watery outer white.
7. 7

   Poach the eggs

   Create a gentle whirlpool in the water with a spoon. Slip the eggs in one at a time, working in batches of two to three so they have room. Let them cook undisturbed for three minutes for runny yolks, four minutes for jammy centers. The whites should be set but the yolks should jiggle when you lift them. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a clean kitchen towel.

8. 8

   Assemble the Sardou

   Work quickly now, while everything is warm. Place two artichoke bottoms on each plate, hollow side up. Spoon a generous mound of creamed spinach into each artichoke cup, letting it overflow slightly. Nestle a poached egg on top of each spinach mound. Spoon hollandaise generously over everything, letting it cascade down the sides. Dust with paprika and scatter fresh chives over the top. Serve immediately.

Chef Tips

• •At Lagniappe, we make our hollandaise first and keep it warm in a thermos. It holds beautifully for up to an hour, and having it ready takes the pressure off the final assembly.
• •If fresh artichokes intimidate you, use canned or jarred artichoke bottoms without shame. The dish was invented using preserved artichokes, and they work beautifully. Just rinse off any brine and pat them dry.
• •The vinegar in your poaching water helps the egg whites set faster, giving you a neater poached egg. Don't skip it.
• •You can poach eggs up to a day ahead. Store them in cold water in the refrigerator, then rewarm in barely simmering water for thirty seconds before serving.
• •This dish pairs wonderfully with a crisp Champagne or dry sparkling wine. The acidity cuts through the richness of the hollandaise.

Advance Preparation

• •Hollandaise can be made up to one hour ahead and kept warm in a thermos or over barely warm water.
• •Creamed spinach can be made several hours ahead and rewarmed gently with a splash of cream.
• •Poached eggs can be made up to 24 hours ahead, stored in cold water, and rewarmed in simmering water for 30 seconds before serving.
• •The components come together quickly once prepped, making this ideal for entertaining.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 275g)