Egg Florentine with ²µ°ù³Ü²âè°ù±ð sauce
This dish is served with a cheese sauce and topped with thyme croutons.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sourdough slices, crusts cut off and bread diced
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 65g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- 30g/1oz plain flour
- 300ml/10fl oz full-fat milk
- 60²µ/2¼´Ç³ú ²µ°ù³Ü²âè°ù±ð, grated
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ lemon juice
- 2 free-range egg
- 500g/1lb 2oz baby leaf spinach
- grating fresh nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the bread cubes, garlic and thyme. Add 15g/½oz of the butter and fry until the cubes are golden and crisp. Set the bread cubes aside.
Melt 30g/1oz butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, cook out the paste for a minute or so. Slowly whisk in the milk and then add most of the cheese. Add the mustard and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper.
Poach the eggs by filling a small pan just over one third full with cold water and bring it to the boil. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and gently tip into the simmering water. Lightly poach for 2–3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels.
Preheat the grill to high. Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and grate over some nutmeg. Pile the spinach into a baking dish, top with the egg and spoon over the cheese sauce.
Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese and cook under the grill to melt the cheese. Add the fried bread cubes.
