Easy Secrets to Cooking Eggs: Fabio's Eggs Benedict

Eggs are made easy in Fabio's simple cooking primer, where he gives easy instruction on how to pick and poach 'em. He goes on to make an easy homemade Hollandaise sauce for the ultimate Eggs Benedict. This breakfast, spoil yourself.

Tips:

  • Secrets to poaching: Cook eggs at a low boil, not a rolling one, to avoid breakage.

  • Easy, fail-safe way to poach an egg: using the handle of a wooden or metal spoon, create a whirlpool in your pot of simmering water. Gently drop the cracked egg into the vortex (or very middle) of the whirlpool. The "current" will automatically wrap the egg whites around the egg, keeping the egg compact.

  • Hollandaise tricks: If your sauce "breaks," you can save it! Whisk an egg yolk with a tablespoon of cold water or heavy cream, then slowly beat the "broken" sauce into it. It won't be perfect, but it will still be delicious. This technique can also be used to reconstitute leftover Hollandaise sauce with similar results.

EGGS BENEDICT

Recipe by Fabio Viviani

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 tsp red wine vinegar

4 large eggs

2 English muffins, split in half

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 slices Canadian bacon

Fabio's Hollandaise Sauce (see below)

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring to a light simmer. Add vinegar.

Crack a single egg into a ramekin or small bowl.

With a large spoon, stir the water to create a whirlpool. Drop the egg into the vortex (the very middle) of the whirlpool and allow the current to wrap the egg whites around the egg. Poach for about 4 minutes.

Remove the egg from the pan with a slotted spoon and hold it in a shallow dish of room-temperature water. Repeat poaching process with the remaining three eggs.

Meanwhile, toast the English muffins in a toaster until golden brown.

In a nonstick pan, quickly sear the Canadian bacon on both sides.

To build the Benedict, place 2 muffin halves on a warm plate. Layer each with a slice of Canadian bacon, and then one poached egg. Spoon about 2 tbsp. of Hollandaise sauce over each egg. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with fresh ground black pepper.


FABIO'S HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Recipe by Fabio Viviani

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients:

8 large egg yolks

12 oz unsalted butter, melted and kept warm

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. of salt

Pinch of paprika

1 tbsp finely chopped chives

Method:

Position a large heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water; rather, the steam should just warm it.

In the bowl, add the egg yolks and whisk until they become frothy. The eggs should double in volume and grow lighter in color.

Add vinegar, and whisk to combine.

Gradually add one third of the butter in a slow and steady stream, whisking constantly.

Keep whisking and add half of the lemon juice.

Repeat with the second third of butter, and the remaining lemon juice. Keep whisking!

Season with salt and paprika before whisking in the final third of butter.

Finally, add the chives.

Keep the sauce warm, whisking occasionally, until ready to use.

MANGIA!