Eggs Florentine

This recipe can be served as 8 small individual portions or one large dish from which you would get 8 portions.  It is slightly different to the classic egg Florentine that is served on an English muffin and topped with Hollandaise sauce, and is useful for those who don’t like Hollandaise or find it a difficult sauce to get right. 

Ingredients

• 65g sunflower margarine
• 30g plain flour
• 300ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 kg fresh spinach, washed and any large stalks removed.
• White wine vinegar
• 8 medium eggs
• 50g Gruyere grated.

Method

1. Melt 40g margarine in a saucepan, add flour and cook gently for 1 min. 
2. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. 
3. Return to the heat and bring to boil, stirring.
4. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer very gently, stirring occasionally. 
5. Pack as much spinach as you can into a large pan and place over a high heat.
6. As it wilts, gradually add the remainder and, when it has all wilted, cover and cook for 1 minute.
7. Tip into a colander and press out the liquid.
8. Melt the remaining margarine in the same large pan, remove from the heat and add the spinach. Season.
9. Preheat the grill to high.
10. Bring 5cm water to the boil in a wide shallow pan.
11. Add a little vinegar and salt and reduce the heat until a few bubbles rise up from the base.
12. Break in 4 eggs and poach very gently for 3 minutes.
13. They need to be quite soft as they will cook further under the grill.
14. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
15. Repeat with the other 4 eggs.
16. Briefly reheat the spinach and spoon into 4 buttered, small, shallow ovenproof dishes, or one large dish of the same capacity as 8 small ones.  
17. Top with the poached eggs.
18. Stir 40g cheese into the sauce, season and spoon over the eggs.
19. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and grill for 2 minutes, until lightly golden.

Serve with wholewheat toast.