Love Affair with Eggs Benedict

I must be craving eggs right now. Poached eggs. Eggs Benedict. I think I needed more than just a yogurt for breakfast this morning. 

As I mentioned in the Spring Herbed Poached Egg entry a beautifully poached egg really is breakfast nirvana for me. So it shouldn't be a surprise that I'm also a huge fan of Eggs Benedict. Often times if a new restaurant has Eggs Benedict on their menu that's what I'll order. Out of both testing to see if their chefs/cooks can create something so simple as a poached egg but also out of sheer desire and no will. 

I've had Benedict's with salmon, avocados, chicken, tomatoes, on various types of bread and with variations of hollandaise sauces.One of my favorite restaurants in San Diego, The Parkhouse Eatery, has the BEST BENEDICT I've ever had. Instead of English Muffins it sits on top of grilled focaccia. Instead of Canadian Bacon, they use Applewood smoked bacon then they finish it off with tomatoes, an avocado hollandaise and of course 2 perfectly poached eggs.

While the recipe below is for a traditional Eggs Benedict I think you can see where the free-style and cooks-creativeness can easily come into play. After all I always start with the basics and then work my way up to creative genius.

Eggs Benedict:

Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Hollandaise sauce
4 egg yolks
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into three parts
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt
Pepper

1. Combine the egg yolks in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir in the cubes of butter, piece by piece, stirring constantly. Remove from heat as the last piece melts.

2. Add the lemon juice. Taste, season. If the sauce curdles, add a chip of ice and stir.

Eggs and assembly
12 strips Canadian bacon
6 English muffins
12 eggs
Hollandaise sauce

1. Grill the bacon, reserve in a warm oven. Split and toast the muffins, (allowing for some more cooking while they stand). Reserve in a warm oven. Heat 6 plates in the oven.

2. Fill a broad-faced frying pan half full of water, and bring the water to a simmer. Carefully crack the eggs into the water a few at a time. Poach the eggs (3 minutes for soft runny eggs), trimming away any straggly whites. When the eggs are almost cooked, using a slotted spoon, remove them to warm water and continue poaching until all the eggs are done.

3. Arrange the muffin halves on plates. Cover each with a slice of bacon, then an egg, then a generous spoonful or two of hollandaise sauce. 

Spring Herbed Poached Egg

I love poached eggs. There sometimes is nothing sweeter and more delicate that a perfectly poached egg. A poached egg can make or break a restaurant for me. They really aren't hard to make but once you have started to over cook it there's no going back. There's no way to save it.While this recipe (which I found in the LA Times) has the eggs eaten on top of watercress with heirloom tomatoes I could just eat them plain. 

Spring Herbed Poached Eggs:

Servings: 4

Nonstick cooking spray, optional
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced shallot
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt, pepper
4 cups watercress leaves
8 eggs
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon snipped chives
1 tablespoon minced chervil
8 baby small plum tomatoes

1. Spray the bottom of a large skillet with nonstick spray, or use a nonstick skillet. Fill the skillet 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the Dijon mustard, Sherry vinegar and lemon juice until blended. Stir in the shallot. Slowly whisk in the olive and canola oils until the dressing thickens and is emulsified. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Toss the watercress leaves with the dressing and divide among 4 plates.

3. Reduce the boiling water to a simmer. To poach the eggs, work with 2 at a time. Crack the first egg into a small bowl, then carefully pour into the water; repeat with the second egg. Cook until the whites of the eggs are set and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes, then remove them from the water with a slotted spatula. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Place 2 eggs atop each plate of watercress. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper to taste, then the dill, chives and chervil. Garnish with the tomatoes.