Eggs Florentine
This Florentine recipe from Apicius students and faculty is ideal for breakfast and lunch. It is also great for beginners as the poached egg and Balsamella* sauce can be reutilized in a variety of other dishes.
*Balsamella is the Tuscan name for Bechamel sauce and one of the five mother sauces. For this recipe, the Tuscan name is used according to the Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well. Although the recipe mentions the use of potato bread, any bread works with the dish.
Ingredients
spinach 100g
eggs 2
garlic 1
evoo to taste
salt to taste
vinegar
see below for balsamella sauce
Method
Soak spinach in salt water. Squeeze the water out of the spinach and stir-fry it with garlic in olive oil. Prepare water in a deep pot, add some vinegar, and then add egg to make poached egg.
Balsamella* di pecorino sauce ingredients
butter 15g
flour 50gr
milk 250ml
nutmeg to taste, grated
pecorino 40g, grated
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Dissolve the butter in a pan and stir-fry the flour gently to make a white roux. Heat milk and slowly mix with the roux to form a béchamel. Flavor and complete the sauce by adding nutmeg, pecorino cheese, and salt.
To finish
Lay a slice of potato bread on the plate, put spinach and poached eggs on top, and finish with the sauce. A deep rather than flat plate is ideal.
We hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. Make sure to give it your own twist and try to make new dishes with the knowledge gained from this one.