Eggs Benedict Florentine with Roasted Garlic Hollandaise is like no other eggs Benedict recipe you may have tried before. Pan roasted garlic permeates every aspect of this amazing brunch dish!
Eggs Benedict Florentine with Roasted Garlic Hollandaise, is my SECOND entry for the 2016 Gilroy Garlic Festival.
A perfectly soft poached egg rests atop a crispy toasted heirloom tomato and roasted garlic spinach; doused with roasted garlic hollandaise and basil garlic butter, this dish is the culmination of my garlic infused version of a traditional eggs Benedict.
I attended the Gilroy Garlic Festival for the first time in the summer of 2014, with my youngest son Chris. We ate so many garlic infused dishes that the smell of garlic oozed from our pores for several days after the event. We both agreed that garlic is the king of spices, sunscreen is a must for the day, and that garlic ice cream tastes just too weird, even for the biggest garlic lover!
The following year, I tried to get my recipe accepted so I could compete. Unfortunately, my recipe wasn't chosen, however, several of my foodie pals made the cut so I decided to meet up with my dear friend and cooking buddy Nancy Judd and hang out for the day. I got to meet several of my contesting friends in person for the first time and watch them compete for the coveted Garlic Crown! Jodi Taffel won first place with her Satsuka Breakfast, and my friends Tresa Hargrove and Lauren Katz place Second and Third with their garlic infused creations. This year I hope to take part as a finalist in Gilroy Great Garlic Cook-Off 2016 and have already submitted my Garlic & Goat Cheese Bacon Souffles. I am reentering my 2015 recipe submission as well with hope one of my recipes will land me a cook-off position.
Finalists travel to Gilroy CA to compete in front of a public audience. The winner of the Great Garlic Cook-Off is honored with a crown of garlic and goes home $5000 richer. Second place is awarded $2500; third place, $1000. Other finalist are treated to $100 stipend each!
Here's hoping that my eggs Benedict Florentine recipe is the winning dish!
- 8 large egg yolks, divided
- 6 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2 whole cloves Garlic (about 20 cloves)
- 1 medium shallot
- 1-2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 large heirloom tomatoes sliced into 4 ½ inch rounds
- 1 cup plain bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or about 15 fresh basil leaves
- 1 fresh avocado sliced
- 1 ¾ cups unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 english muffins toasted
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- For the Pan Roasted Garlic: (makes about 5 tablespoons)
- Crush heads of garlic to release cloves, remove skin and rough bottom edge
- Reserve 2 cloves garlic to the side for use in spinach
- In a small stock pot add garlic cloves and just enough water to cover
- Cook (blanche) garlic cloves in water until all the liquid is evaporated, stirring or tossing for the duration of cooking
- Pour 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil over cooked cloves and continue cooking until caramelized. Toss or stir cloves several times during cooking, to keep from burning. Remove from heat after cloves are a soft brown color, should take about 5 minutes
- Remove garlic cloves from oil and place in a small food processor, leave oil in saute pan. Blend cooked garlic cloves until a fine paste, remove from processor and set aside until ready to use
- Add all the remaining oil from the roasting pan to the food processor (do not wash processor in between these two steps)
- Add fresh basil to the processor and 1 tablespoon of the garlic paste, blend until liquid, add more olive oil if mixture is too thick, season with sea salt and pepper, set aside until ready to use
- Clarify ½ cup unsalted butter, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon roasted garlic, mix well, and set aside
- In a medium saute pan, over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon clarified garlic butter, 1 tablespoon minced shallots and the 2 remaining minced garlic cloves, cook until translucent
- Add spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until just wilted. Turn off heat as set aside until ready to use
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
- Slice tomatoes into 4 equal ½ inch rounds, place on a parchment lines baking sheet
- In the saute pan that was used to make the roasted garlic, add 1 tablespoon roasted garlic paste and 1 cup bread crumbs, blend well, cook over medium heat until lightly toasted. Cut the heat and set aside.
- Season tomato slices with salt and pepper, cover each tomato slice with ¼ cup garlic bread crumbs, bake tomatoes for 15-20 minutes or until bread crumbs are lightly toasted and tomatoes are just bubbling, remove from oven and set aside until ready to plate dish
- In a medium sauce pan, combine 4 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, whisk until mixture is thick and pale
- Set the pan over medium low heat and continue to whisk frequently moving the pan from the heat if the eggs begin to scramble
- As the eggs cook they will become frothy and increase in volume, once the mixture is smooth and thick begin to add 6-8 ounces room temperature butter (about ¾ cups) one teaspoon at a time, until each addition is incorporated completely. By this time mixture should be very hot so you can reduce or turn the heat off.
- Salt and pepper to taste and add 1 pinch cayenne pepper, additional lemon can be whisked in to taste
- In a medium saucepan (or egg poacher), add water, 1 tablespoons white vinegar, and ½ teaspoon clarified butter, soft poach 4 eggs at one time, place cooked eggs on parchment until ready to plate dish. Continue method until all eggs are poached.
- Toast english muffins and brush lightly with clarified garlic butter
- Place cooked heirloom tomato on platter, add ¼ - ½ cup sauteed spinach on top of tomato, place one poached egg over spinach, pour 1-2 tablespoons hollandaise over eggs, dribble basil oil over hollandaise.
- Serve with sliced avocado, extra hollandaise and english muffins.
If the eggs Benedict Florentine makes your mouth water, be sure to try these brunch recipes, too:
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