A Fricassee of Eggs with
Spinach and Fiorentina Sauce
This is so
special it's hard to believe it's so easy. You can use any fresh cheese sauce
for this and heat it gently with some chopped spinach leaves first.
Serves : 2
Ingredients:
4 Large Eggs
225g Pack Baby Spinach
Leaves
300g Tub
Fresh Fiorentina Pasta Sauce
2oz / 50g Mature
Cheddar, coarsely grated
Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Freshly
Milled Black Pepper
Instructions:
1.
First of
all pre-heat the grill to its highest setting.
2.
Next put
the eggs into a
saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them by about ½ inch / 1cm.
3.
Bring the
water up to simmering
point, put a timer on for 6 minutes if you like a bit of squidgy in the
centre.
4.
Then the
most important part is to cool them rapidly under cold running water.
5.
Let the
cold tap run over them for about 1 minute, then leave them in cold water till
they're cool enough to handle – about 2 minutes.
6.
Next peel
the eggs: the best way
to do this is to first tap the eggs all over to crack
the shells, then hold each egg
under a slow trickle of running water as you peel the shell off, starting at the
wide end. The water will flush off any bits of shell that cling on.
7.
Then back
they go into cold water until completely cold. If you don't cool the eggs rapidly they will go
on cooking and become overcooked, then you get the black-ring problem.
8.
Cook the spinach in a microwave
according to the instructions on the pack. If you don't have a microwave, open
the bag of spinach
and tip the whole lot into a large pan.
9.
Add salt, cover with a lid
and cook for 4 – 5 minutes, stirring once or twice until the spinach has just
wilted.
10.
Meanwhile,
heat the sauce in a small pan until it starts to bubble at the edges.
11.
Then tip
the cooked spinach
into a sieve and let it drain.
12.
Now, using
the side of a saucer, push and squeeze out any excess moisture. It is very
important to get the last little drop out.
13.
Now lay
the spinach in the
bottom of the dish.
1.
Next
remove the eggs from
the cold water.
2.
Cut each
one in half then lay them on top of the spinach and season
well with salt and
freshly milled black
pepper.
3.
Finally
pour the warmed sauce over the eggs and spinach to cover them
completely, sprinkle over the cheese then pop the
whole lot under the grill, about 4 inches / 10cm from the heat, for about 3
minutes or until the cheese
has melted and is beginning to bubble and turn golden brown.
4.
Dust with
a little cayenne pepper
and serve either with some really good bread or I think it goes well with some nutty brown rice.
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