May 7, 2018
Target Healthy Eating
Or
Asparagus with Smoked Salmon, Poached Egg, Hollandaise Sauce
Of course, there're always variations on Eggs Benedict to try out with the hollandaise.
Ingredients
4 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
Pinch chili flakes
Pinch salt
Directions
1. Melt the butter in a small pan over lowest heat, then set aside
2. Squeeze the lemon juice, so it'll be ready when you need it.
3. If you don't have a double boiler, use a steel bowl.
4. Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl. Keep whisking until you feel like your arm will fall off, or until the mixture is thickened and still has become twice as much liquid. It could take 5 minutes.
5. If you don't have a double boiler, find just the right size saucepan, add water to the bottom of this pan. On low heat, bring the water to a simmer. If you do have a double boiler, then do all the egg yolk whisking in the top of the double boiler.
6. Now, place the mixing bowl with egg & lemon, over the saucepan with simmering water. The trick here, is do NOT let the simmering water touch the bottom of the bowl, or the eggs will cook more than you want them to and you will have to start all over again. You do NOT want little particles of cooked egg floating in this sauce, or all your time will have been wasted.
7. Continue to whisk rapidly. And continue to watch that the eggs do not get too hot or you will have scrambled eggs and not a sauce.
8. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. You do NOT want the heat from the melted butter to cook the eggs in any way. That's why you must add the melted butter in a very slow trickle.
9. Remove from heat, whisk in chili flakes and salt.
10. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the asparagus and eggs. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.
11. Swirl the water & vinegar around and bring it to a simmer.
12. Break an egg into a small cup, to be sure that the yolk will not be broken before you add it to the pan.
13. Then, carefully slip the egg into the simmering water.
14. Keep your eye on the yolk. In about 2 or 3 minutes the egg will be done, with a semi-soft yolk.
15. If you like a more runny yolk, keep it in the simmering water for 1.5 to 2 minutes.
Have ready and next to the stove, the plate with asparagus and/or asparagus with smoked salmon. With a slotted spoon, remove the poached egg, when done. Allow the water to drip from the spoon, before you place the egg over the asparagus or over the smoked salmon. After placing the egg, have the hollandaise ready to spoon over the food you've prepared, then serve immediately.
The only limit to the use of Hollandaise Sauce, is your own creativity.
1. Consider serving hollandaise over broccoli sauteed with sliced garlic; or spinach.
2. Serve hollandaise over any fish cooked the way you like it.
3. Serve a poached egg on avocado toast, then spoon some hollandaise over this yummy combo.
4. Serve shrimp over saffron rice and hollandaise over this dish. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Hundreds of options for eggs and hollandaise sauce; veggies and hollandaise, etc.
On a medium size plate, place one pancake. On top of the pancake, put two or three big whole asparagus. Over the asparagus add one or two poached eggs. On one side of the asparagus pancake, put a turkey sausage or regular sausage (optional). Over the top of the egg, spoon the Hollandaise Sauce.
We saw our last opera for the season, Romeo and Juliet conducted by Placido Domingo. We were in tears when the curtain dropped on the last act.
Have a great week everyone!
From Our Table to Yours
Bon Appetit!
