Eggs Florentine topped with cheese and mustard Mornay sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs per person
• Three quarters of a bag of spinach
• 1 ½ pint of semi skimmed milk
• Five pepper corns
• Two bay leaves bruised
• One shallot halved
• Sea salt – pinch
• Freshly cracked black pepper – 2 turns
• English Mustard – two teaspoons
• Grated Cheddar cheese – 10 grams
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• White wine vinegar

Equipment:

• Medium pan
• Large pan
• Measuring jug
• Teaspoon
• Cheese grater
• Zester
• Whisk
• Sieve
• Spider
• Large bowl filled with ice water
• Le creuset dishes
• Chopping board
• Chefs knife
• Bread knife

Serves 4

For the wilted spinach:

1. First wash three quarters of a bag of British spinach. Place into a salad spinner to remove the excess water.
2. Now put a heavy bottomed pan onto the heat once up to temperature then add a knob of softened butter, once the butter has melted and gently foaming add the bag of freshly washed spinach, leave on the heat for roughly one minute remove from the heat and allow the residual heat from the pan to gently wilt the spinach.
3. Toss with your hands to wilt further, once cool strain any excess moisture from the spinach season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.
4. Place in individual oven proof dishes, ready for the next steps

Caution the pan will be very hot so please be careful.

For the Mornay Sauce:

1. Start to make a basic béchamel by placing a heavy based pan onto the heat add two pints of milk half an onion, 2 bay leaves, cloves and lastly black peppercorns, bring up to a rolling boil once boiling remove from the heat, allow to cool and infuse.
2. Strain the milk, and return into a clean Pyrex jug.
3. Next for the roux, start in a heavy based pan melt a knob of softened butter and add 2-heaped tablespoons of plain flour and mix. Ensure that you cook out the flour from the roux mixture.
4. Add the milk in a gentle stream, whisk until the béchamel is lump free and creamy, and season with sea salt and white cracked pepper.
5. To transform this béchamel to a Mornay sauce add a good handful of rich mature cheese and two teaspoons of Colman’s English mustard, return back to heat to melt the cheese so that it is pale and creamy.

Time To Poach!!!!

1. Fill a medium saucepan up with cold water add a cap of white wine vinegar and place onto the heat.
2. Once the water has reached a rolling boil place a teaspoon into the water to produce a twister, once this has been achieved crack two medium free-range eggs into the pan. (N.B. You should aim for a teardrop shape, as this looks more professional making sure the egg yolk is soft and creamy.)
3. Poach for roughly 2.5 minutes is being served immediately but 1 – 2 minutes if being served later
4. Then using a spider remove the eggs and place into cold water to refresh and stop the cooking process.
5. Next remove the eggs from the cold-water cut to shape and then place on top of the wilted spinach in your individual ovenproof dishes.
6. Lastly pour over the Mornay sauce so that it coats the poached eggs and evenly sprinkle over a little extra mature cheddar cheese.
7. Place under the grill to melt the cheese but also allow the Mornay to go a golden brown (gratinate).

The great aspect of this dish is if you are busy all day just prepare it in the morning leave it in the fridge, and once your home you have your own Gourmet meal.

Serve with fresh warm artisan bread.