Baked Eggs Napoleon with Pastry (Printable Version)

Flaky puff pastry stacks layered with spinach, ham, and baked eggs, finished with rich hollandaise sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Puff Pastry Base

01 - 1 sheet puff pastry (approximately 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 Components

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 fresh 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 and set aside.
02 - Cut puff pastry into 8 squares (about 3x3 inches each). Place on prepared baking sheet, prick each square with a fork, and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and puffed. Allow to cool briefly.
03 - Heat olive oil in a 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.
04 - Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
05 - Arrange 4 pastry squares on a baking dish. Layer each with ham slice, spinach mixture, and Gruyère cheese. Top with remaining pastry squares to form stacks.
06 - Using the back of a spoon, create an indentation in the center of each top pastry square. Crack an egg into each well.
07 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until whites are set but yolks remain runny, or until reaching desired doneness.
08 - While eggs bake, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Slowly drizzle in melted butter while whisking continuously until thickened. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
09 - Drizzle warm hollandaise sauce over each Napoleon and serve immediately.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • The contrast of crisp pastry against creamy spinach and runny yolks creates the perfect bite
  • Everything can be prepped ahead, so youre actually sipping coffee with your guests instead of stuck at the stove
  • Looks like something from a French bistro but comes together in under an hour
02 -
  • Make those indentations deeper than you think you need to, because the egg whites will spread more than expected in the oven heat
  • Have your hollandaise ingredients measured and ready before you start whisking, because the sauce waits for no one
03 -
  • Grate your own cheese instead of buying pre grated, which contains anti caking agents that prevent smooth melting
  • If your hollandaise does break, whisk in a teaspoon of cold water and it usually comes back together

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