Friday, May 18, 2012

STONEGABLE BENEDICT


My family loves Eggs Benedict. But I have a confession. I have never made Eggs Benedict for them at home. NEVER!

 Just reading the recipe I could see that it is a very complex, time sensitive and fussy recipe. Far too much work for me early in the morning! I just leave the prep to the professional... my family eats it when we go out for Sunday brunch after church!

StoneGable will be full of family and friends this Memorial Day weekend. The perfect time to surprise them with my version of Eggs Benedict... StoneGable Benedict...




I used the basic idea and elements of the classic recipe and made it easier and less time sensitive! It is still quite a bit of work and it is a breakfast that you will probably only make as a special treat... but oh, so worth it!


STONEGABLE BENEDICT

8 pieces of thickly cut Italian Bread
butter for bread
4 large eggs
12 pieces good, thick bacon
1 cup butter (two sticks)
2 egg yolks
2 TBS cold water
1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 drops hot sauce
salt and pepper
herbs, fresh chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until crisp but not burnt. Remove bacon from the pan to drain on a paper towel.

Turn oven to the warm setting or 170 degrees.

Meanwhile,  toast bread until the tops are just toasted.  Butter and set aside.  When the oven reaches 170 degrees put the bacon and toast in the oven to keep warm.

Melt butter in a large non stick skillet over a medium low heat. As the butter begins to froth, scoop off all the white froth that appears on the top of the butter. When there is little or no more white froth pour butter into a small  bowl. Set aside. Reserve the pan that the butter was cooked in for later.

Making the Hollandaise Sauce
You will need a medium size sauce pan and a heatproof bowl that can sit on top of the saucepan.  Put water in the saucepan, but don't let it touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat  the water till it just barely simmer.

In the heatproof bowl, whisk 2 egg yolks and 2 TBS cold water until very very frothy.

When the water in the saucepan is just barely simmering, put the heatproof bowl with eggs on top of the saucepan and whisk like crazy for 3-4 minutes. DO NOT LET THE EGGS GET SO HOT THAT THEY BEGIN TO SCRAMBLE. If your water and bowl get to hot this will happen! Take your bowl off the water immediately and whisk to stop scrambling. You may or may not be able to save your sauce. If done correctly, your eggs should gradually get very creamy, like a pudding. And they will get voluminous.

After they have been whisked 3 or 4 minutes and are done, turn off the heat. Add the butter in a little stream, whisking vigorously, incorporating it into the egg mixture. Here is where you will have to make a judgement call. You might not be able to add all of the butter, but most of it will go into the sauce. If the sauce begins  to break down, don't add more butter! If it stays creamy like pudding you are okay!

Whisk 2 drops of hot sauce and 1 TBS lemon juice into the Hollandaise sauce. Salt and pepper to taste and whisk in. If the sauce is too thick, add a little hot water until it has a thick but not stiff consistency.

Cover the Hollandaise sauce and put it to the back of the stove top, where it is warm.  DO NOT PUT IT IN THE OVEN.

Making the Eggs
Heat the pan that had the butter in it, there should be enough butter in the bottom of the pan to cook the eggs. Heat over a medium flame.  Add 2 eggs at a time. Push the whites towards the yolks keeping the white part of the egg compact. Salt and pepper. Make over easy eggs. Make the other eggs in the same manner.

Assembly

Put 2 slices of toast on each plate. Top with 3 pieces of bacon. I break mine in half and pile them high!

Put the over easy eggs on the bacon.

Top with a big dollop of Hollandaise sauce and finish with fresh herbs.

Serve immediately.





There you have it... StoneGable Benedict!

I'm doing some of the prep work ahead, cooking the bacon, cutting the Italian bread,clarifying the butter. Every little bit done ahead helps!!!



YUMMY!

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21 comments:

  1. Just tell me what time and I'll arrive to help! OMG this looks scrumptious and is easier than the traditional method. I will have to try that this weekend.. xo marlis

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  2. good gosh a mercy this looks good!

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  3. This looks amazing! WOW! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  4. I've never eaten eggs benedict but my family likes to order it too. And after seeing your version I may have to try this out at home on my family!

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  5. YUMMY! Your presentation was beautiful and the recipe easy to follow. Thanks so much.

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  6. This looks delicious. I am going to have to give it a try!

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  7. These look delicious. Have to r=try them soon.

    Denise

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  8. It looks very pretty Yvonne! I'm sure everyone will love this special treat:@)

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  9. That does look delicious. One of my favorite restaurants sometimes adds crabmeat to the "stack". Pure bliss.

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  10. Absolutely, do as much in advance as possible. Love your version of Eggs Benedict Yvonne.
    Sam

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  11. This looks beautiful and of course tasty. I hope this is a great success at your Memorial Weekend celebrations.

    Elizabeth

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  12. Your family must feel like they live in a five star hotel on a daily basis....stunning and I bet delicious with a capital D!

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  13. I am going to elaborate on the comment made by Tina at The Enchanted Home...Now, are you really a 5 star B & B disguised as a blog?....There is gorgeousness everywhere from your interiors, to your table, to your gardens....So let me look to see if there is a "Stone Gable" listing under the B & B 5 star ratings list!!!....Spectacular Yvonne!

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  14. Yvonne, What is the pale lavender flower that you often decorate your food with? Just lovely!

    Pat
    PersonallyByPat.com

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  15. This sounds amazingly good! Thanks for your version (we like bacon much more than Canadian bacon)! I've pinned this for future reference.
    xoxo
    Joy

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  16. My wonderful Sister-in-Law adores Eggs Benedict and she would adore ME if I made this for her!

    Thanks for this easy to follow recipe, Yvonne!

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  17. Saved your recipe...thanks so much. Sweet Mister always prepares the Eggs Benedict at our house. He created a really neat way to prepare multiple servings simultaneously. He took a large Calphalon muffin pan and drilled a pair of holes at each end, through which he inserted a pair of metal handles (think flat horseshoe). He takes this pan and places it in a water bath in a Calphalon roasting pan. When the eggs are poached just right, he can lift the handles and remove the muffin tin....ta dah! Cherry Kay

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  18. Thanks so much for this recipe it looks so mouth watering my husband loves Egg Benedict so i will give this ago for him :)

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  19. Yummy. All that's messing is the bacon and it would be fabulous.

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