Eggs Florentine

[raisa]

Can I substitute spinach in Eggs Florentine? Any ideas?

[ipsedixit]

Well, if subbed in ham or bacon you'd have a Benedict ...

[magiesmom]

I've wondering when it ceases to be florentine...

[ipsedixit]

Indeed. Eggs Sardou, for example, uses artichoke bottoms.

[magiesmom]

that is why I originally responded with greens, because it seemed like maybe they would still be closest to florentine. But I love sardou!

[alkapal]

i think it ceases to be florentine when the spinach goes bye-bye.

[hotoynoodle]

exactly.

[alanbarnes]

Yep. It might be delicious, but without spinach it's not Eggs Florentine.

[Will Owen]

I think this is why most of the posters have simply been suggesting things that would be delicious, not different ways to make Eggs Florentine. That was certainly my motivation.

Of course "Florentine" has become a term for some dish or another with spinach in it; don't know just how that happened, but no point in fighting it ...

[alanbarnes]

The story is that when Catherine de Medici married Henri II of France in the 16th century, her cooks introduced spinach as an ingredient in French royal cuisine. Since she was from Florence, anything with spinach became "Florentine."

No idea whether it's true, but say with a straight face and most people will buy it.

[Will Owen]

That sounds to me a lot more credible than the much broader claim that French cookery was a barbaric mess until Catherine showed up. I think the deal here was that it was still pretty medieval, and vegetables were generally disdained by the upper crust as "peasant food", with salad greens consumed only as thirst quenchers (since nobody wanted to drink the water). The Italians, though, loved to incorporate vegetables into their cookery, with spinach being a great favorite, and not only in Tuscany. Spinaci al burro is still one of the nicest and simplest things you can do with it …

[alanbarnes]

Is there anything that isn't good with butter and parmesan?

[alkapal]

i was thinking the same thing, alan, about poached eggs and hollandaise! (or bearnaise).

[chef chicklet]

I believe it but I have made a halibut Florentine, I think from on of my Italian cookbooks. Darn good too, but I bet you're right. There seems to always be a bit of competition with the two countries.

[alanbarnes]

You had me at "halibut Florentine."

[Will Owen]

So would you eat it for the spinach? Or just for the halibut?

[alanbarnes]

Yes. And yes.

[chef chicklet]

If it doesn't have to be green, a large thick slice of tomato, or how about a fried green tomato? Think I'll go poach a couple of eggs.

[ipsedixit]

Love the green tomato idea.

[Emme]

concur with the above... asparagus, wild mushrooms, roasted celery, roasted broccoli or cauliflower...

[fourunder]

Grilled Zucchini, Portobello Mushroom or Eggplant

Any Chopped Vegetable

Artichoke Bottoms

[magiesmom]

any other green will do.

[hotoynoodle]

i very much like both arugula and watercress with eggs.

[Will Owen]

My favorite brunch-like dish at Square One in Hollywood is their house-cured salmon Benedict with the baby arugula salad. The salmon, egg and hollandaise are served on crunchy fried potato cakes, like bird's nests of shredded potato, and the salad (arugula plus some other greens) has a light, lemony dressing. Loads of fun to eat, ridiculously good.

[hotoynoodle]

oh, that sounds swoony good.