Meet New Orleans' Eggs Sardou: The City's Rich Breakfast Staple For Over A Century

New Orleans is arguably one of the best food cities in the United States. It has a blend of so many cultures, including French, African, Caribbean, and Spanish, and it's led to the creation of comforting dishes that can't be done better anywhere else. Take eggs Sardou, for example. It has similarities to a classic eggs Benedict, which is made with an English muffin, ham, poached eggs, and Hollandaise — but New Orleans turned this breakfast dish into something unique, more flavorful, and maybe better.

The dish was originally developed by New Orleans restaurant Antoine's back in 1908 for French dramatist Victorien Sardou, though the Antoine's recipe looks different from other eggs Sardou dishes you find around the city today. The Antoine's version is made with Hollandaise and poached eggs on an artichoke bottom, then paired with ham, creamed spinach, and black truffles. It removes English muffins and adds artichokes, and the black truffle and ham offer earthy, salty ingredients that pair well with the rich Hollandaise. The original version was also made with anchovies, though the current menu description doesn't include them.

Over the years, other restaurants and chefs around the city and country have established their own versions of eggs Sardou; it seems many recreations of the dish omit the black truffle and anchovies. Of course, this changes the flavor profile, but it's possible that truffle prices and Americans' general distaste for anchovies could be a factor in why adaptations often choose to omit it. Instead, recipes usually call for creamed spinach, artichoke bottoms, eggs, and Hollandaise.

If you don't live anywhere near New Orleans, eggs Sardou is actually pretty easy to make on your own. You can make Hollandaise in a blender or just buy a package mixture of Hollandaise mix that only requires minimal additional ingredients. Use canned artichoke bottoms, too, and you only have to put forth the effort to poach the eggs. Thankfully, there's an easy beginner-friendly way to poach eggs that only requires a few bowls without much technique.