Italian Eggs Benedict With Pesto Hollandaise Food

ITALIAN EGGS BENEDICT WITH PESTO HOLLANDAISE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in pesto. In top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over simmering water, whisk egg yolks, water and lemon juice until blended; cook until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and temperature reaches 160°, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to very low. Very slowly drizzle in warm melted butter mixture, whisking constantly., Transfer to a small bowl if necessary. Place bowl in a larger bowl of warm water. Keep warm, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve. Place 2-3 in. of water in a large saucepan or skillet with high sides; add vinegar. Bring to a boil; adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Break cold eggs, 1 at a time, into a small bowl; holding the bowl close to the surface of the water, slip each egg into water., Cook, uncovered, 3-5 minutes or until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard. Using a slotted spoon, lift eggs out of water., To serve, layer prosciutto, basil, tomato and eggs over toast. Top with hollandaise sauce. Serve immediately.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.
• Brown the bacon in a medium skillet and toast the English muffins, cut sides up, on a baking sheet under the broiler. Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water. Add white vinegar to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil. Gently break 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain. To assemble: Lay a slice of Canadian bacon on top of each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish with chopped parsley.
• Yield: 4 servings

ITALIAN STYLE EGGS BENEDICT

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler on HIGH. Put an inch of water in a skillet, cover with a lid and put it on to boil. (keep an eye on the water).
• Take the English muffin, split it and put it in the toaster on a low setting, just to dry out the bread a little.
• In a cast iron or nonstick skillet, sauté the onion, garlic and tomato with salt and pepper, just until the onion has softened and you can smell the garlic. (2-3 minutes) Add the thyme, rosemary and parsley stir it around. Remove the mixture from the pan to a plate, divide the mixture into fourths for later on.
• Add the vinegar and salt to the pan of boiling water to poach the eggs.
• Gently slid the eggs out of their individual cups into the boiling water and cook through. I like my yokes nice and runny, if you like them this way, undercook them slightly, since everything is being trnsfered to the broiler later on.
• Put another teaspoon or so of olive oil into the skillet where you sautéed the bruschetta mixture. Take the English muffin toasts out of the toaster and place them in the oiled skillet. (Make sure that the heat under the skillet is at medium low.).
• Place the ham slices next to one another on the English muffin, two slices of ham per toast.
• Take the poached eggs out of the water and place one egg on top of each toast.
• Spoon half the bruschetta topping on top of each egg.
• Top each toast with a slice of mozzarella.
• Place the pan under the broiler to melt the cheese.
• Once the cheese has melted, spoon the remaining bruschetta topping onto the mozzarella, TURN OFF THE BROILER, put the pan back in the oven just until everything is warmed through.
• Serve hot (meaning serve it immediately) and enjoy!

ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL FAST EGGS BENEDICT

Steps:

• Put 8 small plates in oven set on lowest temperature to warm.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in contents of hollandaise package. Only use Knorr brand, and do not use the package instructions. Slowly whisk in milk a little at a time so as to avoid lumps (whisk out any lumps you get right away). Turn heat down to medium low and watch carefully, whisking occaisonally as it thickens. When it's the right consistancy (it will thicken in about 3 minutes), gently stir in 1 tsp lemon juice. Add Canadian bacon slices. Cover and set on low until needed.
• Split English muffins and toast lightly. Set one on each plate in oven to keep warm.
• Gently fry eggs over medium heat. I usually crack 4 eggs into a small bowl and add all at once to a small skillet. Once the whites start to set up, I add about 2 TBS water, lightly salt, and cover with glass lid so you can watch the eggs. They will steam or boil gently.
• While eggs are cooking, place one piece of Canadian bacon onto each piece of English Muffin on plates in oven. (Wood tongs are great for this).
• Place one egg on each prepared plate. If cooking 4 eggs at a time, leave the first 4 plated in the oven.
• Spoon hollandaise over each plate and sprinkle lightly with paprika and serve.