Eggs benedict

Main Courses —
eggs-benedict-cooked-on-an-esse-range-cooker

Bacon and fresh eggs topped with creamy hollandaise sauce – eggs benedict, the perfect brunch dish.

River Cottage’s Senior Chef, Andy Tyrrell, demonstrated how, by highlighting the benefits of the ESSE CAT Gas Cooking Stove at our recent dealer day.

For the Muffins
“A muffin – split, toasted and buttered, is my very favourite bread to have with eggs for breakfast. If you own an ESSE, then lucky you – muffins were made for cooking straight on the top. This dough is soft, so you might prefer to use a food mixer to knead it.” – Gill Meller

Ingredients

  • 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 5g powdered dried yeast
  • 10g fine salt
  • 325ml warm water
  • A drizzle of sunflower oil, plus extra for coating
  • A handful of semolina flour, for coating

Method

To knead by hand: mix the flour, yeast, salt and water in a bowl to form a sticky dough. Add the oil, mix it in, then turn the dough out on to a clean work surface. Knead until smooth and silky. Or, to use a food mixer: fit the dough hook and add the flour, yeast, salt and water to the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until combined, then add the oil and leave to knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth and silky.

Shape the dough into a round, coat with a little extra oil and place in a clean bowl. Leave to rise, covered with a plastic bag, until doubled in size. Tip the dough out on to the work surface and press all over to deflate. Divide into 9 pieces, shape each into a round and flatten to about 1–2cm. Dust them all over with semolina flour; this gives a lovely texture to the crust. Leave to prove on a linen cloth or wooden board, covered with a plastic bag, until doubled in size.

Cook the muffins directly on the ESSE warm plate for up to 15 minutes, giving them a quick blast on the hot side at the end, if you think they need it. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the Hollandaise
Ingredients

  • 1/2 pack of butter – diced
  • 2 egg yolks
  • Juice of about ½ a lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Method

In a small saucepan (ideally with sloping sides) add your egg yolks with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Start whisking over a medium heat. You want to get some air and volume into the yolks and also lightly cook them. Keep whisking right into the edges of the pan. You are looking for the yolk mixture to dramatically thicken as the temperature gets to around 85°c. You should have a smooth thick voluminous mixture.

Now start to add the diced butter, slowly at first, just one piece at a time. Waiting for each piece to melt before you add the next, after the first 4 or 5 pieces you can add a little more with each addition. Remember you are in control so sometimes you’ll be moving the pan away from the heat then returning it to the heat as you need it.

When all the butter is used and you are happy with the quantity you have to taste for seasoning check the temperature (it should be warm) and serve.

For the poached egg

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 slice of bread or hot muffin
  • Butter
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pour a 4–5cm depth of water into a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, break the egg carefully into a mug or small jug, taking care not to damage the yolk.

When the water is at a rolling boil, stir it fast in one direction with a wooden spoon to create a vortex or whirlpool in the centre. When you have a distinct vortex, remove the spoon and immediately tip the egg straight into the centre. Turn off the heat, put a lid on the pan and leave it for exactly 2½ minutes. Meanwhile, lightly toast your bread and butter it.

Remove the lid. Use a slotted spoon to carefully scoop up the egg.

Check that the white is set, with no jellyish clear bits left – if there are, return it to the water for 30 seconds. Give the egg half a minute in the spoon for the water to drip and steam away. You can dab carefully with a piece of kitchen paper to help get rid of the water.

Slide the egg carefully on to the hot muffin or toast, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and serve.

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