Eggs Florentine with Homemade Hollandaise

Is there a more elegant brunch than Eggs Florentine? If there is, we don't know of it. It's a dish that immediately makes us feel well-treated in a fancy restaurant. Fortunately, you don't have to be a professional chef to make it.

Our no-fuss egg poaching method is key. Here are some tips: Heat salted water in a large Dutch oven. More water means the eggs won't lower the temp too much when they go in. This helps them to set quickly, before falling apart.

Give the water a good long time to heat up. And then give it a gentle swirl before dropping the egg in the center. This keeps too many tendrils of egg white from floating off.

Read more on our perfect egg cooking methods.

This classic Sunday Brunch recipe is best with fresh farm eggs. Rich yellow yolks will make the hollandaise sauce sing, so grab them from your local farmers' market if you can. 

What is the difference between Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine?

Eggs Benedict, you probably know, is a dish of poached eggs and Canadian bacon on English muffins, with hollandaise sauce. It was invented in New York City, though where and when are disputed.

Eggs Florentine is a combination of Eggs Benedicts and a French cooking method for chicken or fish called "a la Florentine." Chicken a la Florentine consists of a poached chicken on a bed of spinach with a creamy sauce.

It's slightly more elegant and a little healthier than Eggs Benedict. Another version, "Eggs Royale," which substitutes smoked salmon for the bacon or spinach, is also popular.

Do you cook hollandaise sauce?

No, you don't need to cook hollandaise sauce. Older recipes combine the ingredients over a low heat. However, it is easier and faster to make it in a blender. The yolks are unlikely to overcook, and the butter is less likely to separate when made this way.

What are common mistakes with hollandaise sauce?

In general, making hollandaise sauce in a blender is much, much easier than whisking it together in a saucepan. However, you do need to make sure that the butter is both fully melted, and not too hot. You can warm it in a covered dish in the microwave, or melt it on the stove over very low heat.

Also, it's important not to simply dump all the butter into the blender at once. Drizzle it slowly in while the blender is mixing the other ingredients. This will create the emulsion that you want, so that the sauce doesn't separate.

What do I do if my hollandaise sauce separates?

Don't worry too much if your sauce starts to separate! You can keep blending, add a little more butter, and see if it comes back together. Sometimes it does. If it just won't combine, try again, using room-temperature egg yolks, and freshly melted butter.

Is hollandaise sauce served warm or cold?

You don't need to serve hollandaise sauce piping hot, but it should be warm. If the sauce gets too cold, the butter will solidify and the sauce will "break" or separate. However, if the butter is too hot, it can cook the egg yolks, and cause them to clump up.

In general, you want the butter to be melted, but not steaming. 

Have you made this recipe? Tell us what you think in the comments below!