FOOD NEWS
Eggs Sardou: The Decadent Breakfast You Need To Try
By Heidi Chaya
Eggs Sardou, the breakfast or brunch dish named after French playwright Victorien Sardou, was invented in the 19th century at Antoine's, the oldest restaurant in New Orleans, and is a dish worth replicating. It may have come into the widespread American consciousness via a 1985 New York Times article, whose author enjoyed it often and made readers beg to know more.
The traditional Creole rendition of Antoine's fame is made of poached eggs and creamed spinach over artichoke bottoms, topped with Hollandaise sauce, ham, anchovies, and black truffle. The spinach basks in New Orleans-style béchamel sauce, but the aforementioned NY Times author thinks spinach may not have been part of the original creation.
As for the pork, some chefs, including Emeril Lagasse, call for prosciutto or Serrano ham in their Eggs Sardou recipes. However, on Antoine's Jazz Brunch menu, the meat is listed as "tasso ham" — a fatty smoked meat described by Cajun Grocer as a Louisiana specialty made from pork shoulder — so it's not technically ham.
To make the dish, simmer your trimmed artichoke’s bottoms until they're tender and cool enough to remove the chokes, cook the onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat, add spinach and stir frequently, and then fold in your béchamel sauce. Make the Hollandaise sauce, poach the eggs, and assemble the plate as follows: spinach, artichoke, Hollandaise, eggs, and more Hollandaise.