Eggs benedict florentine stacks poached eggs and Canadian bacon over garlicky wilted spinach, all crowned with hollandaise. It is the brunch classic rebuilt grain-free, with no English muffin in sight. A pinch of nutmeg in the spinach makes the whole plate taste like it came from a restaurant.
Eggs Benedict Florentine
2 teaspoons (10 ml) oil or cooking fat of choice
½ cup sliced onions
4 cups (960 ml) fresh spinach
2 teaspoons (10 ml) minced garlic
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 slices Canadian bacon (or 8 bacon strips)
4 large eggs (the freshest you can find!)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) white vinegar
Hollandaise Sauce (see recipe)
Minced fresh chives, for garnish
Paprika or cayenne pepper, for garnish
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium-size skillet that is already hot. Add the onions and sauté until just translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the spinach, garlic and nutmeg, mix well, and cook until the spinach is wilted and bright green. Remove the spinach mixture to a large plate and cover to keep warm.
- To the skillet in which you cooked the spinach, add the Canadian bacon and cook over medium heat until heated through. Cover and keep warm.
- Fill a large saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water, place over medium-high heat, and heat to just under a simmer (160°F (71°C) to 170°F (77°C)). If your water starts boiling, simply reduce the heat. You’ll want to see bubbles on the bottom of the saucepan, maybe one or two coming to the surface every now and then, but you don’t want the water to boil.
- Meanwhile, crack the eggs into separate small bowls or ramekins.
- Once the water is hot, stir in the vinegar. Using a spatula or whisk, stir the hot water to make a sort of vortex in the middle of the saucepan. Gently submerge one edge of a bowl containing 1 egg in the center of the vortex of hot water and carefully let the egg slide out. Using the spatula or a spoon, push some of the egg whites inward to contain things, if necessary. Cook for approximately
3 to 4 minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat the process with each of the eggs. To reheat the eggs, simply submerge back in the hot water for a minute before serving. - To assemble, place 2 pieces of Canadian bacon on each of 2 plates and top with some of the spinach. Place 1 poached egg on top of each bed of spinach, and then spoon the Hollandaise Sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh chives and paprika or cayenne pepper,
if desired, and serve at once.
VARIATIONS: There are plenty of variations you can try here. You can pass on the spinach or add sliced tomato, or you can just have poached eggs with the hollandaise—whatever suits you! If poached eggs don’t work for you, go ahead and make this recipe with fried eggs. It will still be incredibly tasty.
Pro Tips
- Use the freshest eggs you can find for poaching - fresh whites hold together far better than older eggs.
- Keep the poaching water at 160-170°F, just under a simmer with a bubble or two rising. Boiling water tears poached eggs apart.
- Stir the water into a vortex before sliding each egg in from a small bowl. The swirling water wraps the white around the yolk instead of letting it spread.
- The vinegar helps the whites set - stir it into the poaching water just before the eggs go in.
- Poached eggs hold beautifully: keep them in the hot water and submerge them again for a minute to rewarm just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make eggs benedict florentine ahead of time?
Cook the spinach and Canadian bacon ahead and rewarm them gently. Poach the eggs fresh, or hold them in hot water for up to an hour and rewarm for a minute.
Is eggs benedict florentine paleo?
The base is grain-free - eggs, Canadian bacon, and spinach instead of an English muffin. If you are strict paleo, check what goes into your hollandaise sauce.
Can I fry the eggs instead of poaching them?
Absolutely. Fried eggs work beautifully here and are far less fussy - the dish tastes just as good.
What if I do not want the spinach?
Skip it, or use sliced tomato instead. Even just poached eggs with hollandaise is a lovely variation.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Minced fresh chives, for garnish Paprika or cayenne pepper, for garnish
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium-size skillet that is already hot.
- Add the onions and sauté until just translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the spinach, garlic and nutmeg, mix well, and cook until the spinach is wilted and bright green.
- Remove the spinach mixture to a large plate and cover to keep warm.
- To the skillet in which you cooked the spinach, add the Canadian bacon and cook over medium heat until heated through.
- Cover and keep warm.
- Fill a large saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water, place over medium-high heat, and heat to just under a simmer (160°F to 170°F). If your water starts boiling, simply reduce the heat. You’ll want to see bubbles on the bottom of the saucepan, maybe one or two coming to the surface every now and then, but you don’t want the water to boil.
- Meanwhile, crack the eggs into separate small bowls or ramekins.
- Once the water is hot, stir in the vinegar.
- Using a spatula or whisk, stir the hot water to make a sort of vortex in the middle of the saucepan. Gently submerge one edge of a bowl containing 1 egg in the center of the vortex of hot water and carefully let the egg slide out.
- Using the spatula or a spoon, push some of the egg whites inward to contain things, if necessary.
- Cook for approximately
- 3 to 4 minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Repeat the process with each of the eggs. To reheat the eggs, simply submerge back in the hot water for a minute before serving.
- To assemble, place 2 pieces of Canadian bacon on each of 2 plates and top with some of the spinach.
- Place 1 poached egg on top of each bed of spinach, and then spoon the Hollandaise Sauce over the top.
- Garnish with fresh chives and paprika or cayenne pepper, if desired, and serve at once. VARIATIONS: There are plenty of variations you can try here. You can pass on the spinach or add sliced tomato, or you can just have poached eggs with the hollandaise—whatever suits you! If poached eggs don’t work for you, go ahead and make this recipe with fried eggs. It will still be incredibly tasty.
