LOVE eggs for breakfast? You can have them fried, boiled, steamed, or poached. The latter, poached eggs, will always remind you of Eggs Benedict, which is an American breakfast or brunch treat consisting of an English muffin that has been sliced, toasted, topped with bacon (or ham or smoked salmon) and poached egg, and served with a generous pour of Hollandaise sauce. Sounds delish? Oh, yes, it is, and it makes a really good and ‘sosyal’ breakfast served only in the best hotels and restaurants. Here’s a recipe shared by Chef Jayme Natividad of Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City.
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp. white vinegar or rice vinegar
- 4 eggs
- 2 pcs. whole English muffins
- butter
- 8 pcs. bacon or 4 pcs. smoked salmon or tanigue
- Hollandaise sauce*
- 2 Tbsps. chopped parsley, for garnish
For the Hollandaise Sauce
- 12 Tbsps. unsalted butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- dash of cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce
Instructions:
- For the Hollandaise sauce, a food processor or a blender should be used. Melt and clarify 10 Tbsps. unsalted butter. Put egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt in a blender. Blend on medium to medium-high speed for 20 to 30 seconds until eggs lighten in color. Turn the blender down to the lowest setting, then slowly dribble in the hot melted butter while continuing to blend. Add the mustard. Adjust flavor and acidity by adding more salt or lemon juice to taste. Add cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce. Transfer to a container you can use for pouring and set it in a warm (not hot) place or near the stovetop. If it is too hot, the sauce will break.
- Fill a large saucepan with water, two-thirds full. Bring to a boil, then add vinegar and lower heat to a bare simmer. Poach the eggs. Working with one egg at a time, crack it into a small bowl and slip it into the barely simmering water. Once it begins to solidify, you can slip in another egg, until you have all four cooking. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let sit for 4 minutes.
- In removing the eggs, the first egg that went in the water should come out first. Gently lift the eggs with a slotted spoon. Timing is essential, depending on the pan size, amount of water, number of eggs, and how runny you want them to be. An experiment might be vital to figure out exactly how you would like the eggs to be cooked.
- As soon as all the eggs are in poaching water, start toasting the English muffins. If the English muffins cannot be toasted by the time the eggs are ready, gently remove the eggs from the poaching water and set them in a bowl.
- To assemble the Eggs Benedict, halve the English muffins. Spread butter on the cut side of each half. Top with a slice or two of bacon, ham, or smoked salmon. Put a poached egg on top and pour some Hollandaise sauce over it.
- Sprinkle some parsley over the Hollandaise sauce, and serve while hot.
Makes 4 one-egg on one-muffin servings.