Make wilted spinach

To wilt the spinach, heat a pan over a low-medium heat and melt a knob of butter. Add the spinach, put the lid on and allow it to wilt down (or disappear should I say!). This should only take about 3 minutes, but check it half way though and give it a stir. Season with salt and pepper and set aside as you get on with the eggs and hollandaise.

How to make perfect poached eggs

Everyone has their own way of making poached eggs, but this is how I do mine. First and foremost, use fresh eggs so that they hold their shape. Older eggs have a watery white and will make this task a lot more difficult. If you have older eggs, use them for boiling or scrambling. 

Fill a deep saucepan with water and bring to the boil with a generous pinch of salt. Turn the heat right down till the water is just barely quivering. With each egg, crack it into a small shallow cup and slowly slid it into the water. As the egg falls to the bottom, it will curl around into a ball. Some people like to create a vortex with the water, so the white encapsulates the yolk, but I find this only works for one egg at a time.

Allow to cook for 2–4 minutes, depending on how soft you like them, or if the eggs were stored in the fridge. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the egg from the water and give it a little prod with your finger. If it seems ‘jelly like’, or too soft for your liking, pop it back in for another few moments. 

When your eggs are ready, place them on some kitchen paper or a tea towel to drain off any excess liquid — you don’t want a watery egg sliding all over the place. As the eggs cook, get on with making the hollandaise.

There are a couple of methods for making hollandaise sauce that I will share below. 

Hollandaise Method 1

Melt the butter in a pan until foaming. Take it off the heat and allow the milk solids to settle to the bottom.

As the butter is melting, quickly whisk the egg yolk.

Continue to whisk the eggs as you add the melted butter, drop by drop, speeding up to a steady steam as the mixture starts to thicken. You want the egg yolk to envelop the butter so it disappears. Stop adding the butter when you reach the milk solid (the butter will change from clear to milky)

Add the lemon juice and season to taste. I like mine quite lemony, so don’t be afraid to add more or less seasoning.

Add a splash of water if it seems too thick. You can place it on a very very low heat to keep warm, but keep stirring it. 

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Hollandaise Method 2 — One pan method

Cube the butter and add it to a heavy based saucepan with the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water. Over a very gentle heat, whisk, whisk, whisk, until the butter slowly melts and emulsifies with the egg — the sauce will thicken as the butter melts. By no means should you abandon your station to do anything else — otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled egg.

Once the butter has melted, you can thicken the mixture by turning up the heat and whisking continuously. Make sure the heat isn’t too high or it will scramble.

Once you’re reached your desired consistency, take it off the heat, add lemon juice and season to taste. Again, I like mine quite lemony, so don’t be afraid to add more or less seasoning.

Top Tip :

If your hollandaise begins to split, don’t panic. Stop adding butter, and take it off the heat straight away (if using method 2). Get a stick blender, and blitz the daylights out of it to bring it back together again. Continue from where you left off, adding the butter slowly and whisking. If blitzing fails, simply use another egg yolk, and using method one or two, slowly add the split mixture into the egg, like you did with the butter.

Assembly

Gently heat the spinach over a medium heat if it has cooled while making the eggs and hollandaise. To serve, place the spinach on a plate, creating a little nest. Top the spinach with eggs and hollandaise, and serve alongside the smoked salmon. The hollandaise will have some acidity, but if you would like more, you can squeeze a bit of lemon.