Benedict Florentine Recipe

Slow roast tomatoes

Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). In a shallow baking dish large enough to hold tomatoes in one layer, combine halved cherry tomatoes, sliced garlic, thyme sprigs, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss gently to coat. Roast in the oven for 45–60 minutes until tomatoes are soft, slightly shriveled and fragrant but not falling completely apart. Remove from oven and let cool slightly; discard thyme stems. Keep warm or at room temperature until assembly.

Sweat spinach

Heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add baby spinach in batches, tossing until wilted — about 2–3 minutes total. Season with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp lemon juice. Remove from heat and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture if needed. Keep warm.

Prepare clarified butter

Melt unsalted butter gently in a small saucepan. Skim foam and pour off clear golden butterfat, leaving milk solids behind; keep butter hot but not boiling.

Make hollandaise (double boiler or blender method)

Double boiler method: Bring a small saucepan with an inch of simmering water to low simmer. In a heatproof bowl set over (not touching) the water, whisk 4 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 tsp kosher salt until slightly thickened. Slowly drizzle hot clarified butter, a few drops at a time at first, whisking constantly until sauce emulsifies and thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard and taste; adjust seasoning with white pepper/cayenne and more lemon if needed. If sauce becomes too thick, whisk in up to 1 teaspoon cold water to loosen. Keep warm over very low heat or in a thermos; do not overheat or it will split. Blender alternative: Combine yolks and lemon juice in a blender and blend on low. With blender running, slowly pour hot clarified butter down the feed tube in a thin stream until thick and emulsified. Finish with mustard and seasoning.

Poach eggs

Fill a wide shallow pan with about 3–4 inches of water, bring to a gentle simmer (small bubbles). Add 2 tablespoons white vinegar to the water (optional helps coagulation). Crack each egg into a small ramekin. Create a gentle whirlpool in the water and slip an egg in; repeat for remaining eggs but avoid crowding. Poach until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 3–4 minutes for medium eggs. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel briefly.

Toast muffins

Split English muffins or prepare sourdough rounds. Butter lightly and toast in a skillet or under broiler until golden.

Assemble Benedict Florentine

On each toasted muffin half, place a generous layer (about 1/4 of the cooked spinach) of wilted spinach. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of warm tomato confit over the spinach. Place one poached egg on top. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of warm hollandaise over the egg, letting it drizzle down. Garnish with a sprinkle of finely sliced chives and a few microgreens or baby arugula if using. Repeat for all servings.

Serve

Serve immediately while hollandaise and eggs are warm. Offer extra lemon wedges and cracked black pepper at the table.