Saturday, October 01, 2022

Food and Wine: Scrambled Eggs Florentine


With a little flock of chickens now running around my yard acting like idiots, I find myself positively drowning in eggs.  I thought I regularly used quite a lot, but apparently not enough to keep up with my prolific little hens.  I also found myself with a bit of leftover mascarpone cheese, and there's no reason to let that go to waste.  So I located this fantastic recipe and ran with it.  Perfect with some bread for a late breakfast.

Note: I added the bacon and shallot to the recipe below, and I think it worked fantastically.  If you're trying to be lacto-ovo vegetarian, you can of course leave the bacon out.

Scrambled Eggs Florentine
Adapted from Food and Wine magazine

3 slices applewood smoked bacon, diced
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
¼ cup unsalted butter, divided use
4 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
6 large eggs, beaten
¾ cup mascarpone cheese
3 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded (about ¾ cup), divided use
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Ground white pepper
1 loaf crusty Italian- or French-style bread, sliced and toasted

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until fat has rendered and meat parts are crisp.  Add the shallot and cook until translucent.  Add 2 tablespoons butter, then add the spinach and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach mixture to a plate.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Add eggs, sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and swirl to coat skillet evenly. When edges are cooked, drag cooked egg to edges of pan using a heatproof rubber spatula to form large, soft curds. Cook until eggs are nearly set, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently fold mascarpone and ½ cup Fontina into eggs until cheeses are melted.

Preheat broiler. Place egg mixture in a shallow 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle wilted spinach mixture and remaining ¼ cup Fontina on top. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Garnish with chives and black pepper, and serve immediately with toast slices.

Makes 8 servings

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