The month of May is the month of the EGG! and in celebration of the month Euglid Maroga, Culinary Lecturer at The International Hotel School Durban Campus Westville shares her Eggs Benedict recipe with us:

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INGREDIENTS:

• Bacon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons white or rice vinegar
• 2 English muffins
• Salted Butter

Hollandaise Sauce
• 10 Tbsp salted butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• A dash of cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce

METHOD:

1. Start with the bacon. Heat a large skillet on medium low heat. Add the strips of bacon. Slowly fry, turning occasionally, until the bacon is browned on both sides, and if using strip bacon, much of the fat is rendered out (about 10 minutes). Use tongs or a fork to remove the bacon from the pan, set on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.

2. While the bacon is cooking, bring a large non-stick saucepan that is at least 3-inches deep so there is enough water to cover the eggs, and they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Also make sure your pan is wide enough to hold all the eggs you will be poaching as you don't want the eggs to stick

3. Poach the eggs. Working with the eggs, one by one, break or crack each egg onto a saucer, ramekin, small cups, or bowls. We're doing this for two reasons: So you won't break the yolk and it prevents adding bad eggs. Once it begins to solidify, you can slip in another egg, until you have all four cooking. If the water is too cool, the egg will separate apart before it cooks; if your water is too hot, you will end up with tough whites and an over-cooked yolk. You will want to bring the water to a temperature of about 160 to 180ºF (71-82ºC). Do not drop the egg into boiling water (212ºF or 100ºC). This will negatively affect the taste and texture of your eggs. Hint: Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer before cooking. To obtain the correct temperature, spin the boiling water with a spoon to cool down the water before you drop in the egg.

 

4. As soon as all the eggs are in the poaching water, begin toasting your English muffins. If you can’t get all the muffins toasted by the time the eggs are ready, gently remove the eggs from the poaching water and set in a bowl.

5. Hollandaise sauce: To make the hollandaise sauce, melt 10 Tbsp salted butter. Put 3 egg yolks and a tablespoon of lemon juice in a blender, and blend on medium to medium high speed for 20-30 seconds, until eggs lighten in colour. Turn blender down to lowest setting, slowly dribble in the hot melted butter, while continuing to blend. Taste for salt and acidity and add more lemon juice to taste. Transfer it to a container you can use for pouring and set it on a warm – but not hot – place on or near the stovetop.

6. To assemble the eggs benedict, butter one side of an English muffin. Top with two slices of bacon. You can trim the bacon to fit the muffin if you’d like. Put a poached egg on top of the bacon, then pour some hollandaise over. Sprinkle some parsley over it all and serve at once.