Meat mains
Eggs Benedict with purple sprouting broccoli or spring greens
This is a great one for Mother's Day or birthday breakfasts. We've have given you a little trick to keep your eggs round and perfectly formed for a cheffy touch, but you can poach them in the water without wrapping. For the best poached eggs, use very fresh ones and they'll hold together better in the water.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots or onions
- pinch of ground mace
- 8 black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 egg yolks
- 125g butter, melted, in a jug
- juice of ½ a lemon, to taste
- 2 good handfuls of purple sprouting broccoli (trimmed) or spring greens (shredded)
- 4 eggs
- 4 slices of bread of your choice (or use traditional muffins)
- butter
- 2 slices of good quality ham
- a few chives, chopped (optional)
Method
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Step 1
Make the hollandaise: In a small pan, heat the onions, mace, peppercorns, vinegar and water. Boil until the liquid has reduced to around a tablespoon (keep an eye on it, as the liquid will suddenly reduce very quickly). Take off the heat immediately and strain through a fine sieve. Reserve the liquid, discard the onion and leave to cool. Put the egg yolks in a large bowl (one that fits snugly over a pan of barely simmering water) and add the vinegar reduction.
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Step 2
Whisk the yolks vigorously until pale in colour and voluminous (this will take a good few minutes, so be patient and keep the heat really low to avoid over-cooking and scrambling the eggs).
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Step 3
Still whisking constantly, start adding the butter, drip by drip initially. Keep adding and whisking, so the mixture emulsifies and looks glossy; this will take about 5 minutes. Don't add the butter too quickly, or the mixture will split. If it does split you can rescue it by putting another egg yolk in a clean bowl and gradually whisking it into the split mixture. If it has scrambled, unfortunately you won't be able to save it.
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Step 4
Once the butter is all incorporated, add a good squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste. The hollandaise can be kept warm over the pan of water (take off the heat).
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Step 5
You will now need two pans of water, one barely simmering for the eggs, another of boiling water for the greens. Add the greens to the pan and boil for about 3 minutes or until just tender (alternatively, steam them), then drain.
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Step 6
While the greens are cooking, toast the bread and poach the eggs; put a layer of clingfilm in 4 small cups or ramekins and crack an egg into each one. Take the clingfilm and carefully twist the ends, sealing in the egg. Gently place the eggs into the water and cook for 4-4½ minutes for a runny poached egg, 5 minutes for a slightly less runny one. Put the ham on the buttered toast, then the greens, then carefully unwrap the eggs and place on top. Spoon over the hollandaise to serve.
