Baked Eggs Napoleon (Printable Version)

Crisp puff pastry layers with spinach, ham, baked eggs, and hollandaise sauce for an elegant brunch.

# What You Need:

→ Puff Pastry

01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (about 9 ounces), thawed

→ Spinach Mixture

02 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
03 - 7 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped
04 - 1 small shallot, finely diced
05 - 1 garlic clove, minced
06 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
07 - Pinch of nutmeg

→ Assembly

08 - 4 large eggs
09 - 4 slices smoked ham or prosciutto
10 - 2 tablespoons grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese

→ Hollandaise Sauce

11 - 2 large egg yolks
12 - 3.5 ounces unsalted butter, melted
13 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
14 - Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut puff pastry into 8 squares (approximately 3x3 inches). Place squares on prepared baking sheet, prick each with fork, and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and puffed. Let cool slightly.
02 - Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallot and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Arrange 4 pastry squares on baking dish. Top each with ham slice, spoonful of spinach mixture, and sprinkle of Gruyère. Cover with remaining pastry squares to form stacks.
04 - Create indentation in top of each stack using back of spoon. Carefully crack egg into each indentation. Bake for 10-12 minutes until eggs are just set but yolks remain runny, adjusting time for desired doneness.
05 - While eggs bake, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice in heatproof bowl over pot of simmering water. Slowly drizzle in melted butter while whisking constantly until thickened. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
06 - Drizzle each Napoleon generously with hollandaise sauce immediately before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The puff pastry adds a buttery crunch that makes every bite feel decadent yet light
  • Everything can be prepped ahead so you are actually calm when guests arrive
  • The runny yolk creates its own sauce that mingles with the hollandaise in the best way
02 -
  • Cold eggs are harder to crack into the wells without breaking the yolks let them sit out for 15 minutes first
  • If your hollandaise starts to separate whisk in a teaspoon of cold water to bring it back together
  • The pastry bottoms can get soggy if the spinach is too wet squeeze it gently after cooking
03 -
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet to catch any egg white overflow and save yourself a smoky oven
  • Grate extra nutmeg fresh over the finished dish it makes a surprising difference

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