Eggs As easy as a Sunday morning

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There’s a reason why people would rather make reservations for Mother’s Day brunch than actually make Mother’s Day brunch.

A crisp mimosa or a tall bloody Mary tastes good no matter what you do to it. Ditto for pancakes, waffles and home fries. But when it comes to a dish such as Eggs Benedict, it seems like so much can go wrong. The idea of perfectly poached eggs and set-but-not-separated hollandaise is enough to strike fear in the hearts of even the most seasoned cook. But if I can do it, anyone can.

Trust me. The first time I tried to make Eggs Benedict, I was a bachelorette who could barely boil water, let alone poach an egg in it.

I had gone to stay with my best friend, Monique, and a nor’easter foiled our going-out-for-breakfast plans. She was a bit more adept at the culinary arts than I – her mom is a retired home ec teacher, which I consider an unfair advantage. But even she couldn’t poach an egg without it turning into a stringy mess. We ended up making fried-eggs Benedict. Not exactly bistro fare, but what are you going to do?

The upshot of the poaching incident is that it made the otherwise daunting process of making hollandaise sauce seem easy in comparison.

All that takes is patience, vigilance and a makeshift double-boiler, whereas poached eggs require patience, vinegar and a certain amount of hand-eye coordination that I just don’t possess.

That year, I bought Monique an “egg poacher” for her birthday. When my husband-to-be and I filled out our registry, that was one of the first items on the list. Sure, our friend Griff, a Culinary Institute of America grad, thinks we’re cheating. And I’ve since discovered the secret to “real” poached eggs lies in swirling boiling water around like a whirlpool while slowly dropping in an already-cracked egg. A dash of vinegar helps, too. But I don’t care. I’m not ashamed of my poacher.

I’ve got more important things to worry about. Like Hollandaise sauce.

Eggs Benedict

Makes 4 servings. Can be halved.

There’s really no way to scrimp on the butter and egg yolks and still produce an edible brunch. If you’re going to make this, just try to forget about your diet for the day. Farm-fresh eggs produce a richer, yellower Hollandaise. The secret to success with Eggs Benedict is timing. I usually prepare the English Muffins and Canadian Bacon ahead of time and keep them warm in a 200-degree oven.

8 farm-fresh eggs

4 English muffins, split and toasted (I prefer Thomas or Bay’s)

8 slices Canadian bacon

Hollandaise sauce (recipe follows)

For the Hollandaise

6 egg yolks

2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces

Juice of 1/2 lemon (or more, to taste)

In a double-boiler, begin preparing Hollandaise. A shatterproof glass bowl (Pyrex) in a saucepan of water works even better because it conducts the heat more evenly and less intensely. Put butter in the bowl first and then pour in the yolks. Add lemon. If you’re using a gas stove, place the saucepan on the simmer burner over the lowest heat setting. If you’re using an electric range, use the lowest heat setting and carefully monitor the sauce.

While the water heats, toast English muffins and cook Canadian bacon over medium-high heat in a dry frying pan. It’s OK if it scorches a little. Place ham atop English muffins and put in a warm oven.

Begin your first round of poached eggs. If you’re cooking the eggs in two batches, undercook the first batch slightly, and place those in the oven, on top of the Canadian bacon. Begin second round of eggs when the Hollandaise butter starts melting.

For the Hollandaise sauce, once the butter starts melting, begin whisking constantly. When the egg yolks have thickened and the mixture is hot to the touch, the sauce is done – you’ll have to judge this by sight and taste, but it could take up to 15 minutes. Add more lemon juice to taste, and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Note: DO NOT, under any circumstances, try to rush this process. You’ll end up with a chunky, inedible mess.

Remove reserved English muffin/bacon/egg stacks from the oven and pour Hollandaise sauce on top. Serve immediately, with a sprinkle of paprika, if desired.

Homefries

Servings vary.

1 medium potato, per person.

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh herbs for garnish.

In a medium saucepan, place potatoes in boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, set aside and let cool slightly. Dice potatoes.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook until browned on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives. (Adapted from the Culinary Institute of America’s “The Professional Chef” 8th edition.)

Spicy Bloody Mary

Makes 1 serving.

1 ounce vodka

6 ounces V8

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 dashes Tabasco

1 lemon wedge

1 celery stalk

Celery salt

In a tall glass over ice, combine vodka, V8, horseradish, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Squeeze lemon and place it in the glass. Stir with an iced tea spoon until well-blended. Garnish with a celery stalk. Before serving, sprinkle celery salt over the glass.

Cook’s note: Although I prefer Ketel One and Grey Goose for most vodka-based cocktails, I always use Smirnoff in a bloody Mary because of its slightly peppery flavor. Other vodkas, such as Absolut, are a bit too sweet.