One of my favorite things in the Anglo-Saxon brunches : the œufs Benedict compounds of English muffins, bacon and poached eggs and covered with a delicious Hollandaise sauce (salmon and cream cheese version of eggs Benedict also exists). During my last visit to London, I tasted a spinach version entitled Eggs Florentine, served with a Mornay Sauce. When I wanted to redo them for MiniCook who loves spinach, I found recipes for eggs Florentine. They are actually made with Mornay sauce and spinach but in France it's more like a gratin of spinach. I then decided to make an Anglo-Saxon version of eggs Florentine, or eggs Benedict with the Mornay sauce and spinach. If I've not lost you on the way, know that it's delicious anyway...
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Mornay sauce

Prep: 5mins
Cooking: 10mins

Serves 4 plates

- 40g butter
- 4 tbsp plain flour or cornflour
- 500ml milk
- 50g grated cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- salt, pepper, nutmeg
- 2 tsp mustard (optional)

Prepare a bechamel sauce: Melt 40g butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat, Spread flour on the butter while whisking until you make sure that there are no lumps left. Add warm milk very slowly, stirring all the time to avoid lumps. Put the pan back on the heat and let thicken over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the sauce gets the consistency of a bechamel (homogene and smooth, not too thick or too liquid, it has to coat the back of the wooden spoon).

Remove from heat and add a large handful of grated cheese, 1 egg yolk, 2 tsp of mustard and 3 pinches of ground nutmeg. Add salt, at your taste and keep warm until ready to use.

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Eggs Florentine

Prep: 15mins (excluding Mornay sauce prep)

Serves 4 people

- 4 eggs
- 2 to 4 muffins (English bread)
- 200g cooked spinach leaves
- Mornay sauce
- salt, pepper

Prepare the Mornay sauce.

Cut muffins in half and toast them (if you are many people, toast them under the oven grill monitoring carefully).

Poach the eggs two by two opening them over a pan of simmering water in which you've added a little vinegar. Cook from two to three minutes to your taste.

Put one or two half muffins (according to appetite) on each plate. Cover each half muffin with a tablespoon of cooked spinach. Add the poached egg. Cover with sauce Mornay.

Serve with lamb's lettuce.