Eggs Benedict – with a twist
I’m a morning person. During the week I’m up at 5:00, at the gym by 6:00, and at my desk by 8:00. I usually eat breakfast at work; oatmeal, or cereal…something healthy and quick. On the weekend I start out much slower but eventually, around 10:30 or so I decide to make something delicious for breakfast. Today I craved Eggs Benedict. The thing about EB is that making the hollandaise requires 4 ounces of butter and a lot of whisking and tempering the sauce so as not to overcook it. But since I’m still on my Tastes of Spain kick I thought I might be able to make a sauce with olive oil, it might be more like an aioli but it could have a hollandaise texture. A quick check on the interwebs confirmed that this is commonly done with great success and I also discovered the hollandaise in a blender technique which tosses the whisk and tempering worries right out the window.
Eggs Benedict invites substitution and additions…rather than lame English muffins I used slices of baquette, brushed with garlic and olive oil and grilled on the griddle. Instead of Canadian bacon I used speck (smoked prosciutto).
The hollandaise is easy to put together. Put 3 egg yolks, a tablespoon of hot water, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in the blender jar. Heat 4 ounces of extra-virgin olive oil in the microwave for one minute on high. Process the eggs on the lowest speed for 30 seconds or until well blended. With the motor running on low gradually dribble the olive oil into the blender…don’t try to speed this up, just go really slow and dribble the oil in as the motor runs and it’ll transform into a lovely velvety sauce. Once all the oil is added let the blender process it for 20 seconds more. Pour it over the baquette, speck,egg stack and garnish with some grilled asparagus. Serve immediately.
The olive oil hollandaise has a robust flavor and was easy to put together. It matches well with the speck and the richness of the poached eggs. The baquette was a bit tough but did add a good texture. Best of all this sophisticated looking, great tasting breakfast was ready in less than 10 minutes.
Salmon with pistachio oil and asparagus
I guess if I were a responsible food blogger I would find some other way to cook my asparagus. I could, but I won’t. A farmer told me that we can expect to have asparagus for another two weeks so I’m just going to languish in my rut of grilled asparagus…I’ll enjoy every minute of it.
The salmon was just pan fried in butter and napped with the deliciousness that is pistachio oil. You know that I’d post something more complex but why mess with perfection.
Pistachio encrusted lamb chop with asparagus
This fabulously simple and elegant feast was made possible by the kind farmers of Wisconsin. The lamb was procured back in December from Carrie and Eric Johnson of Jordandal Farm. I’ve been hording it for this exact meal…the first feast of the spear. But holy smokes, this lamb blew the asparagus out of the water. Don’t get me wrong, the asparagus was everything it should be, tender, sweet, toothsome. But the lamb…wow, it’s as if pistachios were made just to dress up this already tasty chop. Then I gilded the lily by napping it with pure pistachio oil…oh yeah, pistachio oil is the schizz.
The pistachio oil was procured from Madison’s Vom Fass. This unique store sells wines, spirits, oils, and vinegars from the casks. The pistachio oil is just one or dozens of oil they have on tap. Since it’s salad season I recommend some quality olive oil and vinegars for your garden, market, or CSA greens. They also have some inspiring brandies that I can’t wait to try.
The pistachio crust was just a few handfuls of pistachios, breadcrumbs, olive oil, and a shallot whirled about in the food processor.
-
Recent comments...
- KK on Snicker your doodle a muffin: I'll admit, I had my doubts when spooning these in ...
- ............................................................
- Judi on Brioche Cinnamon Rolls: I thought the cinnamon rolls looked great! I have ...
- ............................................................
- Sara on Steak tartar – forbidden food: There is indeed an "e" on the end. http://www.merr ...
- ............................................................
- rachel on Fried Chicken Sandwich and Poppyseed Coleslaw: I made the slaw last night as a side for BBQ beef ...
- ............................................................
- evain on Equal Pay For Equal Work Chocolate Crinkle Cookies: I made these for a cookie exchange this week and t ...
-
