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It's egg season again! And by egg season, I mean summertime! For those of you who don't know, local eggs are much harder to find in the winter because chickens will stop laying as the days get shorter. Commercial farmers force their chickens to lay in the winter with grow lights, which is rather cruel to the extent they do it, but small farmers usually just let their chickens be, well, chickens.
Anyway...eggs!
Now a typical Eggs Benedict is a layered creation of an english muffin with Canadian bacon, topped with a poached egg and slathered in Hollandaise. About the only thing my version has in common is the Hollandaise and the egg.
This Eggs Benedict has a buttermilk biscuit with local breakfast sausage, a slice of fresh tomato, and a poached egg, smothered in homemade Hollandaise with herbs.
Now, lets get started.
Eggs Benedict: Suzanne Style, for 4
You will need:
2 biscuits (homemade is the best!), sliced in half.
5 eggs
4 sausage patties (I vote for local, but your choice)
4 slices of tomato
1 stick butter
2 tbsp lemon juice (I would say fresh squeezed, but this is where I always forget to buy lemons and end up using bottled juice. Oh, well, sigh)
1 tsp dried herbs, such as parsley, oregano, and thyme or 1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
5 cups water
1 tbsp white vinegar
Here's what to do:
1. Cook the sausage patties on a skillet or griddle at med-high heat until cooked through. Flipping once, after about 5 minutes. Cook the 2nd side for 3-5 minutes until done. Place on a plate covered with a paper towel. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, crack 4 of the eggs into 4 separate small bowls. I know this seems excessive, but when poaching eggs, it's important you work quickly and have the eggs separated.
3. Add the water and vinegar to a pot. Whatever you do, don't forget the vinegar. It keeps the whites together! Boil on high until bubbles start to form. Reduce heat to a simmer. For poached eggs, you want the water to be constantly boiling, but not rolling.
4. Gently add the eggs one at a time, and cook for 3-5 minutes. The eggs are done when the whites look like fresh balls of mozzarella. Remove with a slotted spoon.
5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over med-low heat. Whisk in the lemon juice.
6. Now comes the tricky part. In a small bowl (one used earlier is fine), crack and whisk the 5th egg to combine it. You need to cook the egg into the sauce without scrambling it. A lot of cooks use a double-boiler, it's a little less temperature sensitive, but really, who has the time?
7. Add the egg to the butter and lemon and whisk constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and continue whisking until a thick (but not scrambled) sauce forms. Add in the fresh herbs.
8. On a plate, layer the biscuit, sausage, tomato, egg, and hollandaise. Serve warm with fresh fruit.
Enjoy!
I know this is a complex recipe. But I know you can do it with patience and practice!
Best,
Suzanne
