Alton Brown Soft Boiled Eggs Food

BASIC SOFT BOILED EGGS

Steps:

• Place cold eggs in saucepan. Cover with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) cold water over top of eggs. Cover saucepan with lid and bring water to boil over high heat.
• Immediately remove pan from heat to stop boiling. With lid on saucepan, let eggs stand in water for 3 to 4 minutes (large eggs).
• Remove eggs and rinse under cold water. Cut off larger end with sharp knife.
• Place eggs in eggcups. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and eat with small spoon.

PERFECT POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Heat the water: Add enough water to come 1 inch up the side of a narrow, deep 2-quart saucier. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons white vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, crack 1 very fresh cold large egg into a custard cup or small ramekin. Use the handle of a spatula or spoon to quickly stir the water in one direction until it's all smoothly spinning around.
• TIP: Use this whirlpool method when poaching a single serving (one or two eggs). For bigger batches, heat the water, salt and vinegar in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and do not stir.
• Add the egg: Carefully drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool. The swirling water will help prevent the white from "feathering," or spreading out in the pan.
• Let it poach: Turn off the heat, cover the pan and set your timer for 5 minutes. Don't peek, poke, stir or accost the egg in any way.
• Lift it out: Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and serve immediately. Alternatively, move the egg to an ice bath and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Reheat in warm water just before serving.

EGGS BENEDICT

Steps:

• Combine the flour, nonfat dry milk, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low for 10 seconds using the paddle attachment.
• Put the water and shortening in microwavable container and heat to 120 to 130 degrees F, approximately 2 minutes. Stir until the shortening is thoroughly melted. Add the water mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until well combined, stopping to scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing, about 3 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator, uncover and mix on medium speed, using the paddle attachment, for 3 minutes.
• Position the 8 cans on a half sheet pan and generously spray the rings and pan with nonstick spray. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of oats in the bottom of each ring. Scoop the dough, with a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or disher, into the rings, dividing the dough evenly between the rings. Sprinkle each top with 1/2 teaspoon of oats. Cover with parchment and let sit in a warm place for 60 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Leave the parchment in place and set a second sheet pan on top. Bake for 20 minutes then remove the top half sheet pan. Continue to bake until the muffins reach an internal temperature of 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, and are lightly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the pan with the muffins still in the rings, to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the perimeter of the ring to loosen. Cool completely before splitting with a fork. To serve, toast under broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Put 4 (6-ounce) custard cups in a 6-quart deep, straight-sided saute pan or rondeau. Add 4 quarts of water or enough to cover the cups by at least 1/4-inch. Add the vinegar and salt to the water and put the pan over high heat. Heat just until the water begins to boil and the cups clatter against the bottom of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Adjust the heat to maintain a water temperature of 205 degrees F outside the cups. Break the eggs, 1 at a time, into another custard cup or ladle. Pour the eggs slowly into each of the cups, timing them about 10 seconds apart. Cook for 5 minutes each.
• Serve immediately or remove eggs from cups and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Refrigerate for up to 6 hours in the ice bath.
• To reheat, bring water to a simmer, turn off the heat and add the eggs. Wait 1 to 2 minutes or until warmed through.
• Whisk together the egg yolks, water, salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne in a 2 quart saucier for 1 minute.
• Put the saucier over low heat and whisk vigorously, moving the pan on and off the heat every 10 to 15 seconds, bringing the mixture to 140 to 145 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 3 minutes. Add 1 piece of butter at a time, every 30 seconds, while continually whisking and moving the saucier on and off the heat. Maintain temperature around 120 to 130 degrees F throughout the remainder of the cooking process. Once half of the butter, or 8 pieces, have been added, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add the remaining 8 pieces of butter, 1 at a time, every 30 seconds, while continuing to move the saucier on and off the heat and maintaining 120 to 130 degrees F. After the last piece of butter has been added, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and the sugar and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Taste and add more lemon juice, as desired. Move immediately to a short, wide-mouthed thermos to hold for up to 2 hours. Reheat over low heat for 45 seconds.
• To build Eggs Benedict: Put the julienned Canadian bacon in 10-inch saute pan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through and beginning to turn lightly brown around the edges, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the bacon in the pan to keep warm until serving.
• For each serving, put 2 small dollops of hollandaise on a plate and set 1/2 an English muffin on top of each dollop. Put a small amount of Canadian bacon on top of each half and top with 1 warm poached egg and drizzle with hollandaise. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve immediately.