Portabello Eggs Florentine

Let's start with your hollandaise sauce. Start by gently melting the butter and setting it aside.

Fill a medium saucepan with a cup of water; bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks with the lemon juice, water, and mustard. Place the bowl over the saucepan of boiling water, taking care that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Keep mixing until sauce begins thickening, at which point you should add the melted butter, stirring constantly, bringing the sauce to a thick creaminess. If at any point the sauce appears too thick, add a bit of water, being careful not to let it get too runny. Set aside somewhere it can stay warm while you work on the rest of the dish.

While the water is working up to a boil in the previous step, clean your mushrooms well with a damp paper towel, removing the stems (which can readily be used in other dishes, such as a scramble or hash). Season with salt and pepper to taste before placing in a hot pan greased with butter, placing them bottom side up. After cooking for a minute or two, flip them over and cover your pan, cooking covered an additional 5-7 minutes—just until the mushrooms are tender, taking care not to overcook them. (You don't want soggy mushrooms; they should still be relatively firm.)

Meanwhile, prepare your poached eggs. Fill a medium saucepan with water and a dash of vinegar, bringing to a boil over high heat. Crack each egg individually in a cup or ramekin, then use a spoon to create a gentle whirlpool in the water before slowly lowering each egg into the water at the center of the whirlpool. The whirlpool is important as it helps the egg whites wrap around the yolks. After each egg is in the water, turn the heat off, cooking 3-4 minutes before using a slotted spoon to pull each egg out.

Meanwhile, place your spinach in a large pan, cooking over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, just until gently wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Now that all your pieces are in place it's time to assemble and serve: Start by placing a mushroom, bottom side up, on each plate. Top each with half your wilted spinach, half the smoked salmon, and one poached egg before topping with hollandaise sauce and serving immediately.