Moosewood partner Penny Goldin has long been famous in certain circles for her fabulous brunch parties at which she serves beautiful food, often on her wraparound porch overlooking Cayuga Lake. Almost anything might be an occasion for a brunch—a birthday, a graduation, a new baby, visiting out-of-town friends, or just because it’s a long weekend. Penny is always gracious and relaxed, and the crowd is always wowed.
This delicious and uncomplicated dish is a truly elegant way to serve eggs, and it can be expanded to accommodate large families or many brunch guests. You can prep it ahead of time and then about 20 minutes before serving, pop it into the oven.
Serves 2 to 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes
Olive oil
Coarse salt
4 cups fresh spinach
4 large eggs
½ cup thinly sliced red, white, or yellow onions
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, cut into strips if large
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil an 8-inch square ceramic or glass baking dish with a little olive oil. Sprinkle coarse salt on the bottom of the pan.
In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the spinach until just limp. Arrange the spinach in the baking dish, making four wells, one for each egg. Crack an egg into each well and top with a scattering of onion slices, a sprinkling of coarse salt, a judicious amount of red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, until the yolks are soft and the whites are firm.
While the eggs bake, wipe the skillet with a paper towel. Warm about 2 teaspoons olive oil on medium heat and cook the sage leaves, stirring frequently, until they’re crisp and turn a dark gray-green. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
Serve each baked egg with its bed of spinach, topped with crispy sage leaves.
Serve Baked Eggs with Spinach and Frizzled Sage for brunch, or for supper with a tomato salad or a fruit salad and Asparagus Cacio e Pepe–Style along with buttered toast or Bialys.