Take Away - Redonkulous Eggs Benedict
The title of today's entry reflects the fact that I consistently neglect breakfast during the week. Since blog entries were also neglected this week, let's get the weekend started with a breakfast recipe that will not be ignored.
Eggs Benedict traditionally consists of toasted halves of English muffin topped with broiled ham, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. There are some who have a strong opinion that Eggs Benedict started in New Orleans. There are others who would strongly disagree with that opinion. Either way, restaurants in New Orleans (such as Brennan's on Royal Street) can take credit for refining this dish to the point of perfection.
This recipe comes from a friend of a friend. My friend Emily Franco (birthday girl in the first blog entry) posted a facebook picture of Eggs Benedict that looked fantastic. In fact, it looks so fantastic that I aim to make it as soon as possible.
Emily was nice enough to retrieve the recipe for me from her friend Sarah Buckley Waldvogel. Sarah took her friend, Eggs Benedict, to the next level by adding sausage. This one goes out to you Sarah....
Sarah's Redonkulous Eggs Benedict
English muffins halved, buttered and toasted
Andouille sausage sliced and browned
Tomatoes sliced and blackened on a skillet (use a little butter or oil)
Wilted fresh spinach (sauteed in a tiny bit of butter)
Poached egg (if done without a gadget, use a little bit of white vinegar in the boiling water and a slotted spoon.)
Top the halved muffin halves with the browned sausage and the wilted spinach. Thereafter, top the sausage and spinach with the slice of tomato. Add the poached egg and pour hollandaise sauce (recipe below) on top. Serve immediately.
Hollandaise Sauce
4 egg yolks
Lemon Juice (to taste)
Butter softened to room temperature (up to two sticks, depending on desired thickness)
Creole Mustard (to taste)
A very small amount of Cayenne (or to taste)
Select a large pot and fill it with 1 to 2 inches of water and place it over heat until the water begins to boil. Choose a pyrex or stainless steel bowl that has a diameter larger than that of your pot and place it on top. Make sure that your bowl does not fall into the pot or touch the simmering water. When the water begins to boil, whisk the 4 egg yolks and the lemon juice in the bowl over the boiling water. STIR CONSTANTLY (and, again, don't let the bowl touch water). When thick, remove bowl from pot and start adding softened butter 1 tbsp at a time (whisking constantly). If it starts to thicken too much, place bowl back over hot water. Sarah said that she used almost 2 sticks of butter, but it made A LOT.. Whisk in creole mustard and cayenne).
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