Benedict eggs

Rosa, author of Pemberley Cup&Cakes , brings us a typical American recipe. It's the classic eggs Benedict, accompanied by her English muffins, some muffins that you will enjoy making at home and that you will get a lot of use out of, because you can combine them with a thousand and one ingredients. Go for the recipe!

Today's recipe, these famous eggs Benedict , is an icon of the increasingly revered American brunch that is now gaining followers beyond its borders. And it's no wonder, because it's an irresistible solution for those mornings when the alarm clock gives us a break and we feel like enjoying a good breakfast without rushing, savoring every bite without worrying about losing track of time.

One of the key ingredients of Eggs Benedict is English muffins , which have nothing to do with the popular sweets that share their name and that have so many similarities with our muffins: American muffins . In this case, however, we are referring to a kind of non-sweet roll made with a slightly enriched leavened dough, which is initially toasted on the fire and then fully cooked in the oven.

To make authentic eggs Benedict, we must also add to the equation an indispensable slice of bacon (originally Canadian, although any other type is equally valid), a poached egg and the essential dose of hollandaise sauce. In short, a practically irresistible combination to delight the most demanding palate.

In short, we are faced with a truly special morsel for which we will have to dedicate, of course, a little time and attention. But don't all truly special things deserve it?

Chemex coffee maker , Tellier egg cup , Le Creuset smooth square grill , Tellier egg poacher , T&G acacia wood board , Le Creuset stoneware creamer , Le Creuset jam jar and Le Creuset butter dish .

Ingredients (for 4 people)

For the English Muffins:

• 100-125ml warm milk
• 60ml of warm water
• 7gr of fresh bakery yeast
• 200gr of strong flour
• 6gr of white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 10gr unsalted butter
• Corn flour (not cornstarch), for sprinkling
• Sunflower oil for greasing

For the hollandaise sauce:

• 2 free range egg yolks
• ½ tablespoon (7.5ml) lemon juice
• 75g unsalted butter, melted
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Ground nutmeg or ground cayenne, according to personal preference

For the poached eggs and company:

• 4 free range eggs
• 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 thin slices of grilled smoked bacon or cooked ham, according to personal preference
• Spreadable butter
• Chives to decorate
• Wild asparagus to accompany (optional)

Elaboration

About English Muffins

1. In the bowl of our mixer , fitted with the hook attachment (or in a large bowl and the help of a wooden spoon ), add 100ml of the warm milk and water (never hot!; approximately 45ºC), dissolve the yeast and stir until combined.
2. Then add the flour, sugar and salt, in this order, and mix gently until everything is more or less integrated. If we see that after mixing there are still some flour residues that have not been incorporated into the dough, we can add the remaining 25 ml of milk progressively while continuing to mix.
3. Next, add the butter and knead until everything is perfectly combined for about 6-7 minutes (a little longer if kneading by hand) and obtain an elastic and smooth dough that comes off the bowl or your hands easily. Then cover with a clean cloth and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, grease the inside of a large bowl (you can use the old one, after washing and drying it) with a thin layer of sunflower oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place it inside the bowl, making sure that it is well coated over the entire surface. Cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place, away from draughts, for 1 - 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
5. After this time, we degas the dough by pricking it with a finger until it touches the base of the bowl and let it relax for about 5 minutes before transferring it to the work surface.
6. Meanwhile, prepare a large baking tray by covering it with baking paper and sprinkle the entire surface with corn flour.
7. Next, divide the dough into 4 equal portions using a large, sharp knife (never tear the dough with your hands) and form a ball with each portion. It is very useful to have a kitchen scale here so that all our muffins end up having the same dimensions.
8. Next, place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle a little more corn flour over them. Cover with cling film, being careful not to press down on the dough (the film should be loose so the muffins have room to rise) and let rise for another hour under the same conditions as during the first rising.
9. Shortly before this time ends, preheat the oven (electric and without air) to 200ºC and place the rack at medium height.
10. Similarly, we heat a griddle pan over medium heat until it is very hot. I have used this one from Le Creuset because, in addition to always giving impeccable results, you can also put it in the oven, which will be our next step.
11. We toast our muffins on the grill for about 5-7 minutes on each side until they are golden brown but not burnt.
12. Next, we put the muffin pan into the oven and bake for another 10-12 minutes so that they finish cooking properly on the inside.
13. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before filling or eating.

From Hollandaise sauce

1. Place a medium saucepan with water over low heat to have the bain-marie ready when you add the egg yolk mixture.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl , preferably glass, vigorously beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice until they double their initial volume and acquire a visibly paler color.
3. Next, and without stopping stirring, place the bowl with the yolks in a bain-marie, making sure that the base of the bowl never comes into contact with the water, and continue stirring for a few more minutes until the mixture begins to heat up.
4. Next, we begin to add the melted butter gradually, stirring quickly and at all times throughout the process, until the mixture emulsifies and begins to thicken. If it ends up being too thick, we can always add some of the water from the bain-marie, teaspoon by teaspoon, until we obtain the desired consistency, that is, if we dip a spoon in the sauce and run the tip of our finger along the back, the mark should be clearly visible.
5. We then remove the heat, add salt and pepper to taste and combine again.
6. Finally, we place our Hollandaise sauce in a separate bowl and immediately cover it with cling film, making sure that it is in full contact with the surface of the sauce to prevent a dry film from forming on the surface while we continue with the rest of the recipe. We set aside at room temperature.

About poached eggs

1. Fill a medium-sized saucepan or pot with water up to about 10 cm, add a pinch of salt and bring to a gentle boil (that is, without the water bubbling).
2. Grease the egg poacher with a little olive oil and a kitchen brush and place the egg (without the shell) directly into its cavity.
3. Then we add the vinegar or lemon juice to the water (this will help the egg white to set better), dip the egg poacher in the egg and let it poach without touching it for about 3 ½ - 4 minutes, depending on how cooked we prefer the yolk.
4. We remove the poacher and, using a tablespoon, carefully separate the egg from the container. We then remove it using a second spoon and place it on a plate until it is ready to be used.

Assembling the eggs Benedict

1. We open the English Muffins in half*, lightly toast them on the cut side and spread generously with butter.
2. Next, we first place a slice of bacon (or cooked ham) on 4 of the halves, followed by a poached egg, which we season to taste.
3. Finally, we pour a good portion of Hollandaise sauce over the egg, season with a pinch of ground nutmeg or cayenne and finish decorating with a little chopped chives.

According to tradition, there is nothing like a handful of grilled wild asparagus with a pinch of salt to accompany this delicious dish. Even so, although the combination could not be more successful, I leave this last detail to your personal choice.

Chemex coffee maker , Tellier egg poacher , T&G acacia wood cutting board , Le Creuset mug , Le Creuset jam jar and Le Creuset butter dish .

Grades

• *To maintain the spongy texture of our English muffins, it is preferable to open them with a fork, piercing their edges instead of using a knife. This way, the holes and craters in the crumb remain open and the butter will penetrate thoroughly.
• In addition to using them as a base for eggs Benedict, English muffins can be eaten with a whole host of options and combinations, both savoury and sweet, each one more irresistible than the last: butter and jam , lemon curd , cream cheese and smoked salmon, ham and cheese, spinach, feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and so on.
• To turn your eggs Benedict into another brunch delight, something less popular but no less exquisite like eggs Florentine, you just have to replace the bacon or ham with spinach sautéed with a little chopped onion. Incredible, don't you think?
• If you poach or boil the eggs the traditional way (without the egg poacher ), the procedure is exactly the same, except that, to make the egg as compact as possible, you will stir the water with a spoon until a kind of whirlpool forms in the centre, right where you will drop the egg as carefully as possible. Once it has set to the desired point, you will remove it with a scraper .

You may have guessed that this is one of those recipes that I have a real weakness for, which usually happens from the moment you try it for the first time. I'm sure I'm not the only one...

A hug,

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