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What could be more perfect for the end of Mardi Gras than a luxurious and decadent brunch of Creole Eggs Sardou? It’s hangover food but with a kick! Creamed spinach, sauteed artichokes, and poached eggs are layered in a bowl and topped with velvety hollandaise sauce for a greener, more decadent take on a classic Eggs Benedict.
I like to serve this for Fat Tuesday brunch alongside Candied Bourbon Bacon, Decadent Southern-Style Cheese Grits, Strawberries Romanoff, and a big pitcher of Fresh Peach Bellinis.
How New Orleans Celebrates The End Of Mardi Gras
Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras Day, is the last day before Lent and the last day of the Carnival season. It is a day of hedonistic indulgence before six weeks of fasting. There are parades, city-wide parties, and feasting on classic New Orleans fare and washing it down with cocktails like Sazeracs, Hurricanes, Pimm’s Cup, and Brandy Milk Punch.
What Are Creole Eggs Sardou?
Creole Eggs Sardou is a Louisianna classic brunch dish of creamed spinach, artichokes, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. You’ll find this dish, with many variations, in many of the best restaurants in New Orleans. It became especially popular with inebriated partiers headed home from the French Quarter. The rich, fattiness of the dish combined with the cream spinach and hollandaise coated the stomachs of those who were a bit over-served.
History Of This Dish
Eggs Sardou was created in 1908 by Antoine Alciatore, owner of the famed French Quarter restaurant Antoine’s, when he created the dish for the visiting French dramatist Victorien Sardou.
Antoine had no idea if Mr. Sardou enjoyed the ingredients he used, but not only did Mr. Sardou enjoy the dish, but it also became a favorite for decades. Antoine’s original recipe included black truffle, parsley, ham, artichokes, eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Today, there are as many variations of Eggs Sardou as there are chefs in New Orleans.
Ingredients Needed
At first glance, it looks like this recipe has many ingredients, but you probably already have most of them in your pantry.
- Butter – Use unsalted in this recipe, if possible. The Creole or Cajun seasoning has salt in it, so you’ll probably want to limit salt in other ingredients, if possible.
- Shallots and garlic – No shallots? No problem. You can use a scallion or ¼ of a small onion instead.
- Flour
- Whole milk – you could swap half & half or heavy cream. Please don’t try reduced fat or skim milk. It doesn’t give the sauce the same mouthfeel as whole milk.
- Parmesan cheese – grate your own instead of buying it pre-grated. The pre-grated is coated with an anti-caking agent that can feel gritty in your mouth.
- Whole nutmeg – a whole nutmeg offers fresher, more intense flavor than preground. Use a microplane grater for easy grating.
- Sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper
- Frozen chopped spinach – be sure to thaw it first and squeeze as much excess liquid as possible.
- Cajun or Creole seasoning – it’s a matter of taste. Typically, Creole seasoning is less hot than Cajun.
- Extra large eggs
- Lemons
- White vinegar
- Canned artichoke hearts
Steps To Make This Recipe
This recipe is made in five steps. It feels much more manageable when it’s broken down into five parts.
- Make the creamed spinach by sauteing the shallots and garlic in melted butter. Next, stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk and parmesan cheese until thickened. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cayenne before folding in the frozen chopped spinach.
- Make the hollandaise sauce. This is ridiculously easy using a blender! Add the eggs, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, and Creole seasoning to a blender. Blend until smooth. Slowly add in the melted butter and blend until thick and creamy.
- Saute the chopped artichokes in melted butter until they are lightly golden around the edges.
- Poach the eggs. Bring a pot of water with salt and vinegar to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the eggs. Stir until the whites are set, and the yolks are still soft and creamy.
- Assemble the dish by adding a bed of creamed spinach to a bowl; top with the sauteed artichokes and a poached egg, then drizzle generously with the hollandaise sauce.
Shortcuts That Taste Almost As Good, But With Much Less Time:
- Buy 2 boxes of frozen Pepperidge Farms Spinach Souffle. Thaw it thoroughly before spooning it into a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Fold in the frozen spinach and warm thoroughly.
- Buy store-bought hollandaise sauce or the mix found in your spice section and follow the directions on the package.
- For added flavor, buy marinated, jarred artichokes and microwave them until warm.
More Mardi Gras Recipes To Consider
- Old Fashioned Beignets
- Cajun Boudin Balls With Remoulade Sauce
- Classic Shrimp Etouffee
- Spicy Shrimp Creole
- New Orleans Muffaletta Sandwich
- Easy Dirty Rice
- Millie’s Meaty Red Beans And Rice
Creole Eggs Sardou
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
What could be more perfect for the end of Mardi Gras than a luxurious and decadent brunch of Creole Eggs Sardou? It’s hangover food but with a kick! Creamed spinach, sauteed artichokes, and poached eggs are layered in a bowl and topped with velvety hollandaise sauce for a greener, more decadent take on a classic Eggs Benedict.
Ingredients
For the creamed spinach:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 12-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
For the hollandaise sauce:
- 4 extra large egg yolks, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, more as a garnish
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- ¼ teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
For the eggs sardou:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 (14-ounce can) artichokes, drained thoroughly and roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 8 extra large eggs
Instructions
Make the creamed spinach.
Melt the butter in a large skillet with high sides.
Add the shallot and garlic and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Whisk in the milk until the mixture comes to a simmer.
Add the parmesan to the sauce and continue to whisk until the cheese melts – about 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper until well combined.
Add the chopped spinach and fold into the sauce, breaking up any clumps of spinach.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Make the hollandaise sauce.
Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, and cajun seasoning into a large blender.
Blend for 20 seconds until well combined.
Keep the blender running, slowly trickle in the melted butter, and blend until the sauce has thickened (about 30-45 seconds). Turn off the blender and set aside.
Make the sardou.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
When the butter is foamy but not browned, add the chopped artichokes and stir to coat the artichoke pieces with butter thoroughly.
Saute, stirring and turning the pieces occasionally until the artichokes turn golden brown on the edges. Keep warm.
Poach the eggs.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a simmer (190 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Add the 2 teaspoons of salt and the white vinegar to the boiling water. Stir until the salt is dissolved.
Carefully crack the eggs into a small bowl and then slide the eggs into a fine-mesh strainer.
Allow any excess loose egg whites to drip out.
Hold the strainer close to the pot of water and gently tip the eggs, one at a time, into the simmering water.
Use a spoon to gently swirl the water, allowing the eggs to set for 10-15 seconds.
Keep swirling the water, cooking the eggs until the egg whites are set, but the yolk is still soft – about 3 ½ minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and place them on a paper towel-lined plate.
Assemble the dish.
Divide the creamed spinach into four pasta bowls.
Spoon the artichokes into the middle of each bowl and top with 2 poached eggs.
Drizzle the warm hollandaise sauce over the eggs and the creamed spinach.
Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper, salt, cayenne, and/or cajun seasoning, if desired.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Saute, poach
- Cuisine: Creole
Keywords: Crole eggs sardou, egg recipes, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, poached eggs, creamed spinach, blender hollandaise sauce, sauteed artichokes, brunch recipes, food of New Orleans, New Orleans recipes
