Italian Style Eggs Benedict 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.

CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT

Steps:

• Make the hollandaise sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until no longer foamy (but not browned), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the clear butter to a liquid measuring cup, leaving the milk solids on the bottom of the pan; discard the solids.
• Heat 1 inch of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not simmering. Combine the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a medium stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl on the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking constantly, until the egg mixture is pale yellow and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Check periodically to make sure the water isn't boiling or the egg yolks might overcook.
• Remove the bowl from the saucepan; slowly pour in the melted butter, a drop at a time at first, whisking constantly until thick. Whisk in the remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, the cayenne and ¼ teaspoon salt. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in some warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen. Return the bowl to the saucepan of water with the heat turned off to keep warm; whisk occasionally.
• Make the Eggs Benedict: Fill a large wide pot with 3 inches of water. Heat over medium-high heat until steaming with small bubbles; reduce the heat as needed to maintain a bare simmer. Stir in the vinegar. Crack 4 eggs into individual small bowls or ramekins. Carefully tip the eggs into the water, spacing them as far apart as possible. Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 3½ minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Gently blot the eggs dry and trim off any wispy pieces. Repeat with the remaining 4 eggs.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook until lightly browned and warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Meanwhile, toast the English muffins and spread with butter.
• Top each English muffin half with a slice of Canadian bacon and a poached egg. Thin the hollandaise sauce with more warm water, if necessary, and season with salt. Spoon over the poached eggs and sprinkle with chopped chives.

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!