Sunday, May 17, 2009

Eggs Benedict with Orange Mock Hollandaise


This recipe is actually a little healthier over real hollandaise sauce and tastes so good! Why a mock hollandaise? Well, when people are eating over a course of an hour or two, it is so easy for real hollandaise to separate and/or over-cook. The mock sauce is much more forgiving and only needs a stir every 15 minutes or so. The less I have to remember, the better!

You'll be amazed when you try the orangey-citrus flavor on top of eggs... it blew my mind! Who knew those flavors went so well together? I like my yokes runny so under poach if I'm at your breakfast table...

6 Servings
10 minute prep time
15 minute cooking time

Ingredients
6-12 slices of 1/4-inch thick deli ham (Black Forrest or maple)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Zest of 1 large orange
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Few drops of your favorite hot sauce, i.e. Tabasco
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 English muffins, split, and toasted
Softened butter
12 eggs
Chopped fresh basil

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Preparation
1. First, zest orange and then juice it. In the top pan of a double-boiler or small metal mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, and hot sauce until well blended. Set aside or cover and refrigerate.

2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Fill bottom half of a double boiler with water and set over medium-high heat. Fill a skillet with 2 inches of water, add vinegar and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. While waiting...

3. Using a biscuit cutter, cut ham slices into 12 rounds or trim into pieces big enough to cover the size English muffin you are using. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ham rounds and cook on both sides until they begin to brown; about 2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and transfer to oven to keep warm.

4. Start preparing English muffins. Toast, butter each half, and then transfer to the oven to keep warm. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

5. Stir mock hollandaise sauce over bottom double-boiler until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. At the same time...

6. Reduce heat of poaching water to simmer. Crack one egg into a cup. Using a spoon, stir in one direction to create a "whirlpool" in the skillet. Remove spoon and quickly drop the egg in the middle. This will create a perfectly shaped poached egg. Cook until the whites are set and yoke is to desired doneness, about 3 minutes for a medium-set yoke. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and then to the oven to keep warm.

7. The Build: 2 English muffin halves on each plate. 1 slice of ham on each half of English muffin. 1 tablespoon mock hollandaise. 1 egg atop each half and drown it all with more mock hollandaise. Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil and serve immediately.

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Quick & Dirty Tips
I don't usually put the eggs in the oven since I am serving usually only two at a time. To make up for this, I use two saute pans so that I can make two poached eggs at the same time. I then transfer them with a slotted spoon right on to the ham and English muffin.

Roasted sweet potatoes go great with this dish!

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