Eggs Benedict
Posted: January 9, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 large free-range eggs
- Knob of butter
- 2 muffins, split
- 4 – 8 slices Parma ham
For the minted Hollandaise sauce
- 150g unsalted butter
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 6 coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 ½ teaspoons reduced white wine vinegar
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 4 large mint leaves, cut into thin julienne strips
- Sea salt
Method: How to make eggs Benedict
1. To make the hollandaise, melt the butter in a pan over a gentle heat, then carefully pour off the golden oil into a jug and discard the milky solids. Set the clarified butter aside to cool until lukewarm.
2. Put the egg yolks, crushed coriander and 1 tablespoon cold water into a heatproof bowl and fit snugly over a pan of gently simmering water. Using a hand-held stick blender or electric whisk, beat until very light and frothy (this makes it easier to incorporate the butter).
3. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue whisking for a couple more minutes, then slowly trickle in the runny butter as you continue to whisk. Don’t add the butter too quickly or it will curdle. When all the butter is incorporated, season with salt and add the reduced vinegar, lemon juice and cayenne. Finally, fold in the chopped mint. Set the bowl back over the pan of hot water (but off the heat) to keep warm; stir occasionally to stop a skin forming. If the sauce does happen to split, whisk in a trickle of cold water to re-emulsify it.
4. Poach the eggs: you can do this in advance for convenience, and to avoid overcooking them.
5. To assemble, toast the split muffins lightly on both sides. If you have poached the eggs ahead, using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a pan containing enough boiling hot buttery water to cover. Leave to stand off the heat for 15 – 20 seconds, no longer or the yolks won’t be soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well.
6. Butter the muffins and place on warmed plates. Arrange 1 or 2 slices of Parma ham on each muffin, sit a poached egg on top and finally coat with the warm hollandaise. Serve immediately.