In a tiny saucepan simmer the lemon juice with 10g butter till well reduced
(5 minutes)
Meanwhile, put water, 50mm deep, in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add salt and vinegar.
Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water
while adding the lemon juice.
Continue to whisk till thickening. A bit less than 3 minutes. As the eggs
get to a bit over 50° they will thicken. Do not overheat. Remove the bowl
and the saucepan to the bench and add half a teaspoon of butter and whisk
briskly for 30 seconds. Then, at about a heaped teaspoon full at a time add the remaining butter and whisk. Don't add the butter too quickly.
Let stand between adding butter. This process will take 4 or 5 minutes.
Reduce the temperature of the boiling water to less than a simmer and crack in the eggs 1 at a time allowing some seperation. Cook gently for 4 minutes or till done as desired.
Use a 90mm Cup or similar and press down on the bread slice to form a round shape. Trim to
the round shape with scissors and toast. Cut a slice of ham with some fat on. Shape to roughly fit on the round toast.
Use a slotted spoon to put and egg on the ham. Remove any excess white from the egg. Cover with Hollandaise sauce. Done this way these eggs are so good that even people that don't like egss like this.
3 minutes is the minimum cook time and the egg will be quiet runny and
difficult to plate. 5 minutes and the egg will be well done. Just under 4
minutes is perfect. Very runny yolk but a firm enough white.
3 egg yolks
80g butter at room temperature
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs rock salt
1 Tbs white vinegar
4 Eggs at room temperature
4 slices white bread
Leg Ham off the bone
This is my favourite breakfast. It just a real shame it contains so much
fat and cholesterol or I would cook it everyday. So Mothers Day and Fathers Day is about it. Over the years I have had so many bad cafe versions that now unless I cook it myself I am not wasting the cholesterol bump.
Having made this hundreds of times I know this recipe is the best in texture
and taste. But lots of variations are possible with the bread and ham.
Muffin or crumpet instead of toast, bacon or smoked salmon instead of ham.
Whatever. Although I think the trend of cafes to use thick crusty bread and
thick bacon is a long way from the soft texture I achieve. Your sauce should
be spongy and glossy. Your egg runny in the middle and the ham sliced thinly
on a soft crustless piece of white bread. Delicate is the way to describe a
perfect eggs benedict.
People! Warm mayonnaise is not a hollandaise sauce.
If you want to add a herb use tarragon.