Eggs Sardou

A classic New Orleans brunch recipe, made with poached eggs, served over artichoke bottoms and creamed spinach and topped with Hollandaise sauce. This recipe doubles down on the deliciousness of artichokes by using the tender stalk trimmings to add more flavour to the creamed spinach.

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American, French

Keyword antoine's poached egg recipe, artichokes, cajun, hollandaise, new orleans poached eggs, poached eggs

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 55

Servings people

Calories 386kcal

Ingredients

8 large eggs
8 medium artichoke bottoms (see note for fresh vs. frozen or canned)

Creamed Spinach & Artichoke

350 g spinach (12-13 oz)
85 g chopped artichoke (3 oz; ~1/2 cup) (see note for fresh vs. frozen)
60 g butter (4 Tbsp) separated into 1 and 3 tbsp portions
40 g onion minced (1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic minced
65 g flour (1/2 cup)
350 ml milk (1.5 cups) preferably whole-fat
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
pinch pepper to taste
pinch nutmeg

Hollandaise Sauce

2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (optional)
dash Tabasco sauce or other similar hot sauce
pinch salt
1/2 cup butter (8 tbsp/1 stick/113 grams)

Instructions

Eggs and Artichoke Prep (See Note)

Poach eggs to just below desired level of doneness, then set aside in ice bath (alternatively, cook at the end). Reheat in warm water along with artichoke bottoms later - about 45 seconds to 1 minute (see 'To Serve' below)
If you're using frozen artichoke bottoms, allow them to come to room temperature or warm them up a bit in a warm-water bath. Chop enough artichoke bottoms to yield 85 g (about 1/2 cup) for the next step, but ensure that you have enough left to serve all of the eggs on.

Creamed Spinach & Artichoke

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Cook the spinach for about 2 minutes, then drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Chop the spinach and drain the water again, squeezing to get as much moisture out as possible. Set aside with chopped artichokes.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic in butter until the onions are translucent but not browned; about 5-6 minutes.
Add flour to the pan, mix and cook for about 2 minutes. The resulting roux may be very thick, but this is ok. Do your best to spread it around the pan and keep the heat low enough to avoid scorching the roux.
Add milk, cook on low temp for about 5 minutes. Do not boil!
Stir in spinach, artichoke, and spices. Set aside but keep warm.

Hollandaise Sauce

(Blender or immersion blender version - see notes for stovetop version)
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Keep warm.
Combine remaining ingredients in a small blender or food processor, or in a container that fits the head of an immersion blender (I prefer the immersion blender).
Blend ingredients together. While blending, slowly pour in butter, a little at a time. Once entirely combined, adjust to taste with salt or lemon juice if needed. Use as soon as possible.

To Serve

Bring a pot of water to a low simmer.
Heat up the artichoke bottoms in the simmering water, and finish the eggs (about 1 minute).
On a warmed plate, serve creamed spinach topped with an artichoke bottom and a poached egg. Top with Hollandaise and garnish of your choice (e.g. a bit of Tabasco sauce, some paprika, and/or fried tomato skins). Serve immediately.

Notes

Frozen artichoke bottoms can be found in larger grocery stores, health food stores, and in stores serving large Mediterranean or Persian populations. They're a great option if you don't have the time or confidence for prepping artichokes from fresh (or if they're out of season). If you're looking for tips on preparing fresh artichokes, refer to the full recipe article.

Nutrition