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Skillet Eggs Sardou

By Matthew Fairman

Published on September 3, 2025

Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Skillet Eggs Sardou

Ingredients

8 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons hot sauce, divided, plus extra for serving1 teaspoon table salt, divided14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus 2 tablespoons softened1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 6 ounces tasso ham, cut into ¼-inch pieces3 garlic cloves, minced10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach 1⅓ cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1½ cups)1 cup heavy cream ¾ teaspoon pepper, dividedPinch ground nutmeg 4 English muffins, split and toasted2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Before You Begin

Use your favorite vinegary hot sauce. If you can’t find tasso ham (spiced, smoked pork shoulder steaks that are a specialty of Louisiana), you can substitute andouille sausage, which has a similar flavor. You will need one 12-ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts to yield the 1⅓ cups called for here. Use a rasp grater to grate the Parmesan.

Instructions

  1. Process 2 large egg yolks, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, and ¼ teaspoon table salt in blender until frothy, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Melt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter in small saucepan over medium heat and cook until butter registers 180 degrees, about 1 minute. Transfer butter to 1-cup liquid measuring cup. With blender running, very slowly drizzle hot butter into yolk mixture and process until mixture is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Adjust consistency with hot water as needed, a teaspoon at a time, until hollandaise sauce drips slowly from spoon; set aside.
  2. Using fork, mash 2 tablespoons softened butter and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour together in bowl to form smooth paste; set aside. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 6 ounces tasso ham, cut into ¼-inch pieces, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer about half of ham to plate; set aside. 
  3. Stir 3 minced garlic cloves into ham remaining in skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 10 cups baby spinach, 1 handful at a time, allowing each to wilt slightly before adding next; cook until uniformly wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1⅓ cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped; 1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese; 1 cup heavy cream; ½ teaspoon pepper; pinch ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon hot sauce until combined and bring to simmer. Stir in flour mixture until incorporated. Cook until cream mixture thickens and clings to spinach, about 1 minute. 
  4. Off heat, use silicone spatula to clear eight 1½-inch wells in spinach mixture (7 wells around perimeter and 1 in center; cream will run back into bottom of wells.) Working with 8 eggs, crack 1 at a time into small bowl, then use bowl to pour egg into cleared well in skillet (using spatula as needed to guide and tuck egg into well).  Sprinkle eggs with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper
  5. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat (there should be small bubbles across most of surface). Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, rotating skillet as needed to ensure even cooking, until yolks are opaque and whites are softly but uniformly set, 3 to 6 minutes. (If you prefer fully set yolks, set covered skillet aside off heat until eggs have firmed up, about 2 minutes longer.) 
  6. Spoon individual portions of egg and spinach mixture onto each 4 split and toasted English muffin half. Drizzle eggs with hollandaise sauce, and sprinkle with reserved ham and 2 tablespoons minced parsley. Serve with extra hot sauce. 

Skillet Eggs Sardou

Headshot of Matthew Fairman
By Matthew Fairman

Published on September 3, 2025

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Time

50 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons hot sauce, divided, plus extra for serving
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus 2 tablespoons softened
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 ounces tasso ham, cut into ¼-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach
1⅓ cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1½ cups)
1 cup heavy cream
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
Pinch ground nutmeg
4 English muffins, split and toasted
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Ingredients

8 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons hot sauce, divided, plus extra for serving
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus 2 tablespoons softened
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 ounces tasso ham, cut into ¼-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach
1⅓ cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1½ cups)
1 cup heavy cream
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
Pinch ground nutmeg
4 English muffins, split and toasted
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Ingredients

8 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons hot sauce, divided, plus extra for serving
1 teaspoon table salt, divided
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus 2 tablespoons softened
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 ounces tasso ham, cut into ¼-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach
1⅓ cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1½ cups)
1 cup heavy cream
¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
Pinch ground nutmeg
4 English muffins, split and toasted
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Eggs Sardou is an elegant brunch dish that earned fame in two iconic New Orleans restaurants, Antoine’s and Brennan’s. The recipe involves layering creamed spinach, artichokes, poached eggs, and a luxurious hollandaise sauce. It can be a long process to make, so with our version we worked to streamline. We put together a quick blender hollandaise sauce. Next we made a creamed spinach and artichoke mixture and poached eggs directly in the sauce to avoid dirtying another pan. Finally, we sprinkled each serving with some crisped tasso ham (which is classic) and chopped fresh parsley for a fancy finish.

Before You Begin

Use your favorite vinegary hot sauce. If you can’t find tasso ham (spiced, smoked pork shoulder steaks that are a specialty of Louisiana), you can substitute andouille sausage, which has a similar flavor. You will need one 12-ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts to yield the 1⅓ cups called for here. Use a rasp grater to grate the Parmesan.

Instructions

  1. Process 2 large egg yolks, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, and ¼ teaspoon table salt in blender until frothy, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Melt 12 tablespoons unsalted butter in small saucepan over medium heat and cook until butter registers 180 degrees, about 1 minute. Transfer butter to 1-cup liquid measuring cup. With blender running, very slowly drizzle hot butter into yolk mixture and process until mixture is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Adjust consistency with hot water as needed, a teaspoon at a time, until hollandaise sauce drips slowly from spoon; set aside.
  2. Using fork, mash 2 tablespoons softened butter and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour together in bowl to form smooth paste; set aside. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 6 ounces tasso ham, cut into ¼-inch pieces, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer about half of ham to plate; set aside. 
  3. Stir 3 minced garlic cloves into ham remaining in skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 10 cups baby spinach, 1 handful at a time, allowing each to wilt slightly before adding next; cook until uniformly wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1⅓ cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped; 1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese; 1 cup heavy cream; ½ teaspoon pepper; pinch ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon hot sauce until combined and bring to simmer. Stir in flour mixture until incorporated. Cook until cream mixture thickens and clings to spinach, about 1 minute. 
  4. Off heat, use silicone spatula to clear eight 1½-inch wells in spinach mixture (7 wells around perimeter and 1 in center; cream will run back into bottom of wells.) Working with 8 eggs, crack 1 at a time into small bowl, then use bowl to pour egg into cleared well in skillet (using spatula as needed to guide and tuck egg into well).  Sprinkle eggs with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper
  5. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat (there should be small bubbles across most of surface). Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, rotating skillet as needed to ensure even cooking, until yolks are opaque and whites are softly but uniformly set, 3 to 6 minutes. (If you prefer fully set yolks, set covered skillet aside off heat until eggs have firmed up, about 2 minutes longer.) 
  6. Spoon individual portions of egg and spinach mixture onto each 4 split and toasted English muffin half. Drizzle eggs with hollandaise sauce, and sprinkle with reserved ham and 2 tablespoons minced parsley. Serve with extra hot sauce. 

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