Eggs Florentine, DuMond-Style

Variations on the "Eggs Benedict" theme abound. It's basically poached eggs atop English muffins, along with a sauce and something yummy underneath the egg. Ace is the one who pioneered making hollandaise sauce with a blender, which is easy and foolproof. Sallie's sister Connie had this to say about Ace's hollandaise: "There is one other recipe my kids will always request when they are home and that is Ace's hollandaise sauce, aka Eggs Benedict. Seth & Jake both have worked in very fine restaurants around the country and neither has found a better sauce than the one you guys use." Not a bad review, indeed.

This is a true "special occasion" brunch or breakfast dish, as it's essentially cholesterol combined with cholesterol served with extra cholesterol. But oh so good...

Makes four servings.

8 whole eggs

1/2 lb. spinach, washed and stemmed
1 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. frozen artichoke hearts, parboiled and drained
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced

3 egg yolks
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 English muffins, halved

Smoked paprika

Heat the tablespoon of butter in a large skillet and add the spinach. Cook until wilted all the way through and set aside.

Poach the eggs in an egg poacher pan or in boiling water. Drain the eggs and set aside. Poaching time is dictated by how soft or firm you like your eggs. We poach for about four minutes and let the eggs sit in the pan for a few more seconds. Three minutes will yield poached eggs that are quite "runny" with liquid yolks; five minutes will give you pretty solid yolks.

Toast the English muffins and spread with unsalted butter.

Put the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne in a blender and buzz for a few seconds. Place the 1/2 cup butter in a measuring cup and put in the microwave until fully melted. Slowly pour melted butter into the blender while the blender is buzzing.

Put two English muffin halves on each of four plates. Place on each muffin half some sauteed spinach, some sliced avocado, a few pieces of thinly slice artichoke heart, and a slice of tomato. Top that with a poached egg, then pour enough hollandaise directly from the blender to cover the eggs.

Dust the tops of the eggs florentine with paprika and serve.