Weeks 5: Eggs Benedict-licious

Though I haven't posted in a few weeks, I've been good about keeping up on trying new recipes regularly. This was a recipe born of time one weekend morning and the desire to learn how to make some delicious poached eggs. Plus my desire for some hollandaise deliciousness lead to my next two experiments being with this surprisingly versatile sauce born from an egg yolk and some crazy fool's imagination.

Eggs Benedictlicous
Materials: Eggs, Hollandaise Sauce, Bread or an English Muffin, Proscuitto Slices

1. Prepare the hollandaise sauce according to any hollandaise recipe (one provided below). This is not how I made mine, but I also wasn't super-excited about the one I had since it got to be too acidic (lemon juice, you devil) for my taste. I'll try a different variation next time.

2. Get water super-hot, right below boiling in a small pot. Boiling is bad because too much action will cause the eggs to break. Breaking the egg in a small cup, pour the egg slowly into the heated water. Use a spoon to try and keep the egg together. In a few minutes, it will congeal in a freakish show of true culinary magic and you will use a slotted spoon to remove it from the water.

3. Put a toasted piece of bread, english muffin, or my favorite -- a habenero lime tortilla (from Trader Joe's) onto a plate. Place a strip of proscuitto on top. If truly inspired, I think the tortilla would benefit from a slice or two of avocado or fresh roasted baby tomatoes. Then lay on the super awesome egg, spoon some hollandaise on top, and ta-da! Eggs Benedictlicious!





Hollandaise Sauce (borrowed from Cooks.com)

1/4 c. melted butter
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1 c. milk
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Melt butter in small saucepan; add flour, seasonings, and blend. Add milk gradually and stir. Cook until thickened. Pour sauce on slightly beaten egg yolk; mix and cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from flame; add lemon juice gradually and beat vigorously. Serve on cooked vegetables. Yield: about 1 1/3 cups sauce.