Maybe it isn't the healthiest way to pick a meal but whatever your reason, Eggs Benny is all of these things for me. It is a very rich meal that I don't eat too often but I can whip it up for any reason or none what so ever. I almost always have everything I need for it.
Due to necessity, I have been making my Eggs Benny with bacon. I know this is not the "original" version. To make it properly you should use Canadian back bacon and to be honest it is the best. Don't let that stop you from experimenting! The breakfast and lunch restaurant Cora makes several different kinds of Eggs Benny and everyone I have tried was excellent.
While we were in Germany, I learned it was common to serve Hollandaise sauce on asparagus. This suited me just fine since I will eat that stuff on anything and I love asparagus. The problem for me was that the version of the sauce you can buy there doesn't taste the same as the kind I prefer. I tried to make my own from scratch and while it turned out fine but still didn't taste the way I expected. My first exposure to Hollandaise sauce comes from International and is still my favourite.
It is a very simple, tasty and most of all forgiving sauce to make. Don't believe all the hype about it being tricky, the packet version is easy. You can use 1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted, whisk in the packet and water. Continue to whisk over medium heat until boiling and thickened. Turn it down right away to very low and set aside, mixing every so often. The reason these sauces can be tricky is because too much heat will cause the sauce to "break". This is when the oil separates from the rest of the sauce making it look greasy and unappealing. If you have this happen you can fix it usually just by letting it cool down some. Whisk it when it has cooled a bit and it will come back together. Alternately, remove from the heat and add cold water a tablespoon at a time and whisk until the sauce returns to it's rich, creamy, lovely self. Either way, too much heat with "break" your Hollandaise so watch out for that.
Now the other key ingredients are toasted English muffins (this is also great on bagels), easy enough, and poached eggs. This is actually the hardest part of this dish for me. I have finally perfected my method and get perfect soft yolk, non-soggy, poached eggs every time now. I must confess I have made this using fried eggs due to my frustration at imperfect poached eggs and also being too intimidated to try poaching in the first place. Persistence and practice have paid off and I have found my sweet spot.
First, I get the bacon in the oven. I like to bake it for 20-30 minutes at 400F. This really depends on the bacon so you'll need to watch it. Thinner slices will obviously take less time than thicker slices. Turkey bacon, ham, or even omit this step if you want to go vegetarian. I have had grilled asparagus instead of meat or even smoked salmon. The possibilities are endless but I prefer bacon/back bacon.
Have your wonderful Hollandaise sauce ready and sitting nearby keeping warm.
Get your English muffins in the toaster. They don't have to be hot when serving as everything that goes on top will be hot, they just need to be nicely toasted.
I love this toaster. It has made my breakfast preparation much quicker. I have mentioned before that my family loves breakfast. We also toast a lot of breads outside breakky too.
For the poached eggs, get a large shallow pot or deep frying pan. Fill until there is about three inches of water and bring it to a boil. There needs to be enough water that you can do all or most of the eggs at once without cooling the water too much. This will mean everyone can eat at the same time.
Splash in about 1/4 cup of vinegar.
The eggs need the most attention and cook the quickest so I have everything else ready before hand. I have eggs waiting nearby and a bowl. I break the eggs into the bowl before they go into the water. Otherwise, I have found the time to break the eggs directly into the water was the right amount of time to burn my knuckles with steam. Use the bowl, hah.
I also have my strainer spoon on standby. This is by far the best tool for handling and removing the poached eggs.
I drop the cracked eggs, one at a time, into the water. There are tricks to swirl the water or whatever to keep the whites together. If you use vinegar, it sets the whites quicker for you. Also, not having the water boiling too much will be easier on the eggs too. I use the bowl and take it right to the water and gently tip the egg straight into the water. The yolk will go to the bottom and the whites will set up around it. Drop the next egg away from the first to as not to disturb it. Keep dropping the eggs in gently until they are all in together. The water can be at a bit of a rolling boil at this point but you want to keep it just below that, if possible, to keep the eggs from getting moved around by large air bubbles.
I have found that these only take a few minutes total to become soft poached eggs. I gently wiggle the eggs in the water to check if the white is set. Obviously, too much wiggle means it's pretty raw still. Go for your preference here.
Don't they look lovely? I set them out on paper towel while I assemble the dishes because I hate soggy bread. This let's the water drain out into the paper towel instead of the English muffin.
Now to assemble. This will serve one person. Toasted English muffin and one slice of bacon on each half.
Add a poached egg on each one and top with as much sauce as you like. I love this sauce and can never get enough but this is a 'reasonable' amount of sauce. This packet of Hollandaise makes 6 servings but I'm usually only feeding three so I freeze the leftover. Thaw before reheating and you'll be just fine.
This photo is actually making my mouth water. I could eat this every single day but that just isn't healthy.
What is your favourite breakfast? Tell me in the comments below.
No comments:
Post a Comment