
To preface this entry, Ill have everyone know that this is the second morning in a row that I have made Eggs Benedict (and I wish it was because it was so good).
Yesterday morning, I planned on making the same dish for my friend Britney Jo and I. Little did I know how poorly my first attempt would turn out. If you have never made Eggs Benedict, you can’t appreciate how many steps go into preparing it. First, theres the hollandaise sauce, which you have to stir constantly. Then, there’s the sliced tomato and Canadian Bacon which should go in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. There’s the English Muffin which has to be toasted. And finally the poached egg, which if you have ever tried to achieve, you’ll know is close to impossible as a first timer. Yesterday morning, nearly everything went wrong. Not only did the hollandaise sauce congeal, but the tomatoes stuck to the pan and the ham burned. The English muffin got cold and I spilled an entire pot full of boiling water all over my right leg - “poached” egg and all (yes I do have a blister). Needless to say, I decided not to take picture of yesterday’s meal.
Ingredients (for 1):
3 eggs
6 tblsp. butter
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 tomato
1 slice of Canadian Bacon
1/2 cup boiling water
Dash of Cayenne Pepper
Dash of salt
Directions:
Although yesterday’s breakfast was a bit chaotic, it was delicious. So, if your nervous about making this dish, you should know that it turns out tasting good even if its not pretty at first.
First, try to arrange all of your ingredients in a manageable order. It really helps when things get chaotic, that everything is organized and easily accessible. Preheat your oven to 350 and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Slice a tomato and grab a slice of Canadian Bacon (or regular ham if thats all you have). Place tomato and ham on sheet and place in oven for 20 min or they brown. Melt about 3 tblsp. of butter in pan. When this is melted, fill another pot with water and bring to a simmer/soft boil of stove. Mix 2 Egg yolks, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup vinegar (I used lemon juice the first day) and dash of Cayenne pepper in a separate, bowl. Place this bowl over the simmering pot of water and let cook while slowly adding melted (3 tblsp) butter, stirring continuously. Add remaining butter to mixture while stirring. Take a half of a cup measuring tool and fill with boiling water from the bottom pot. Place metal bowl back on top, and pour boiling water into mixture while stirring. Aside from salt and pepper to taste, this is finished for now. But, remember to keep stirring.
Place English muffin in toaster. Check tomatoes and ham.
On a separate surface, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer in either a deep skillet or pot. This is for the poached egg, so in order for the egg to set correctly you should add about 1/4 cup vinegar and salt to the water. When the water is ready, crack an egg into the water, very close to the surface to avoid splash and damage to the egg. Let it cook for about 1 minute 30 seconds. When this time is up, spoon the egg to flip on its other side to let cook for about 15 more seconds. Retrieve your English muffin from the toaster, and tomato slices and ham from the oven. Stack tomato and ham on one side of your English muffin. Finally, spoon your poached egg and drain the water against the side of the pot. Place egg atop ham and tomato. With a large spoon, scoop your warm hollandaise sauce from the other bowl and pour over your egg. Sprinkle cayenne pepper to top it off. Add salt and pepper to taste. MY FAVORITE.