Creole Eggs Sardou

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Saute the chopped artichokes in melted butter until they are lightly golden around the edges.
4. 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.
5. 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:

1. 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.
2. Buy store-bought hollandaise sauce or the mix found in your spice section and follow the directions on the package.
3. 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