A luxurious take on Eggs Benedict, featuring sweet Jersey Royal potatoes, creamy smoked salmon, and a rich hollandaise sauce.
Cook the Jersey Royals: Place the Jersey Royal potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain well and allow to cool slightly. Slice into 1cm thick rounds.
Prepare the Hollandaise Sauce: In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water), whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice until pale and foamy. Gradually whisk in the melted clarified butter, a little at a time, until the sauce is thick and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm, but not hot, while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Poach the Eggs: Fill a wide frying pan with about 7cm of water. Add the white wine vinegar and bring to a gentle simmer. Crack each egg into a separate ramekin. Create a gentle whirlpool in the simmering water and carefully slide each egg into the center. Poach for 3-4 minutes, or until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Assemble the Benedicts: Divide the sliced Jersey Royal potatoes among four plates. Top each with slices of smoked salmon. Place a poached egg on top of the salmon. Spoon a generous amount of hollandaise sauce over each egg. Garnish with chopped fresh dill and a grind of black pepper.
Serve immediately.
Nutrition per serving (250g)
To clarify butter, melt it gently in a saucepan. Skim off the foam from the surface. Carefully pour off the clear yellow butter, leaving the milky solids at the bottom.
If the hollandaise sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. If it splits, whisk in a tablespoon of cold water vigorously.
For perfectly poached eggs, use the freshest eggs possible. The vinegar helps the egg whites coagulate quickly.
If you want to prepare the potatoes ahead of time, you can cook them and store them in the refrigerator. Warm them gently in a pan with a little butter before serving.
Large Pot
Frying Pan
Saucepan
Whisk
No wine pairing suggestions available for this recipe.