Poached Eggs With Canadian Bacon And Spinach Food

BAKED EGGS WITH CANADIAN BACON, SPINACH, AND AGED CHEDDAR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F and arrange rack in middle. Butter 4 (6-ounce) ramekins and set aside.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add onion, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add spinach and cook until spinach is well wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Place ham on bottom of ramekins and top with spinach. Crack eggs into ramekins, place 1 tablespoon cream over each egg, and divide half of cheese evenly among ramekins.
• Put ramekins on a baking sheet and bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, about 15 to 18 minutes.
• Meanwhile, spread remaining 2 tablespoons butter on 4 slices sourdough bread. Top with grated cheese and toast until golden brown. Serve eggs with toast.

EGGS BENEDICT WITH CANADIAN BACON AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Foolproof Hollandaise:
• To make the Herb-Roasted Potatoes: Remove them from the oven and cover to keep warm. Turn the oven heat up to broil. Put the English muffin halves on a baking sheet and brown on both sides under the broiler. Remove to a plate. Reduce the oven heat to 200 degrees F and put the English muffins in the oven to keep warm.
• Heat 2 to 3 inches salted water to a simmer in a wide saucepan or deep skillet for the eggs; turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, make the hollandaise. Combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, water, salt and cayenne in a blender and blend until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Then, with the blender going, drizzle in the melted butter in a thin stream. Taste for salt and lemon juice. To keep the sauce warm, put the whole blender jar in a bowl of warm water; set aside while you finish the dish.
• When the potatoes are out of the oven, heat a 2-count of olive oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the bacon slices and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Brown the remaining 4 slices and put the on the plate. Put the bacon in the oven to keep warm.
• Put the skillet back over medium heat. Add a 2-count of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and give it all a stir; cook until warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer to reduce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Return the water to a bare simmer. Add the vinegar and swirl a couple of times with a kitchen spoon. Then, first cracking each egg into a cup, gently drop 4 eggs into the simmering water and cook until just set, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, get yourself 4 serving plates and put 2 muffin halves on each plate. Put a piece of bacon on each half and top with a spoonful of spinach. Remove the poached eggs with a slotted spoon and place on top of the spinach. Do the same with the remaining 4 eggs. Spoon the warm hollandaise sauce over and garnish with a parsley sprig. Serve with the Herb-Roasted Potatoes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toss together the potatoes, oil, and thyme, and sprinkle with salt. Dump the potatoes out on a baking sheet and roast until tender and crisp on the edges, 30 to 40 minutes.

CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Sear the Canadian bacon in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute per side.
• Split and toast the English muffin.
• Poach the eggs as directed on page 75.
• Arrange the muffin halves on a plate. Top each half with the bacon and then the poached eggs. Pour hollandaise sauce over the top and serve immediately.
• Trim and wash (several times) one bunch of spinach. Steam the spinach, squeeze it dry in a clean kitchen towel, and coarsely chop it with a sharp knife into 1/4-inch pieces. Before serving, sauté the spinach in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Add a little diced onion or garlic, if you like. Season the spinach with salt and pepper and substitute the spinach for the Canadian bacon.
• Substitute thin slices of smoked salmon for the Canadian bacon. Don't cook the smoked salmon as this will ruin its creamy texture and make it more like cooked salmon. For an additional variation, try Smoked Salmon Florentine by adding spinach (see above). The bright orange salmon is beautiful with the green spinach, the white egg, and the pale yellow hollandaise. Make sure the hollandaise isn't steaming hot when you pour it over the salmon or it will cook the salmon.
• Slice a firm green tomato into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Soak the slices for 5 minutes in buttermilk. Dredge the slices in yellow or white cornmeal seasoned with salt and pepper. To fry the tomatoes, put 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet and allow the oil to get good and hot (375°F), but not smoking. Fry the tomatoes on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove them from the pan and pat dry with paper towels. To place the poached eggs on the tomatoes, make an indentation in the tomatoes with a spoon for the eggs to sit in or they may roll off to the side.
• Similar variations are to substitute the fried green tomatoes for the Canadian bacon, to serve the fried green tomatoes in addition to the Canadian bacon, or to serve Fried Green Tomatoes Benedict with slab bacon.
• For a nice southern touch, substitute Bubby's Variation on Mr. Beard's Cream Biscuits (page 54), sliced in half, for the English muffins. Or, instead of hollandaise sauce, try Sausage Gravy (page 186).
• First make the Béarnaise Sauce (page 287). For the tenderloin, cut 1/2-inch-thick slices of raw beef tenderloin and season well with salt and pepper (we use very good sea salt, which makes all the difference). Heat a cast-iron skillet to smoking hot and add a very small amount of vegetable oil. Very quickly sear the tenderloin pieces, keeping them very rare. For medium rare, sear for 45 to 60 seconds on each side. Use the seared tenderloin in place of Canadian bacon and top with the béarnaise sauce.
• Substitute one-half fillet smoked trout, warmed for 1 minute in a toaster oven or broiler, for the Canadian bacon. Top with Béarnaise Sauce (page 287) instead of hollandaise.

SPINACH AND EGG SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Arrange the tomatoes cut-side up on one half of a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Broil the tomatoes until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Remove from the broiler. Arrange the English muffins on the other half of the baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the Canadian bacon and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach until wilted; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl; keep warm. Wipe out the skillet.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Crack the eggs into the pan, season with salt and pepper, and fry until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Top the tomatoes with the cheese. Return the tomatoes and English muffins to the broiler; broil until the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide the English muffins among plates, then top each with some of the spinach mixture and a fried egg. Serve with the broiled tomatoes.

CANADIAN BACON, EGG AND CHEESE SLIDERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs, half-and-half and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Pour into the pan and bake until puffed and set, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the Canadian bacon and cook, flipping, until browned, about 1 minute per side. Remove to a cutting board and cut each slice into 4 pieces.
• Spread the butter on the cut sides of the rolls. Slice the baked eggs into 12 small pieces and lift out of the pan with a spatula; place one on each roll bottom. Top each with a piece of cheese, 2 pieces Canadian bacon and the roll tops. Thread strawberries and grapes onto skewers and serve with the sliders.

BAKED-EGG AND CANADIAN BACON SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, chives, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl until fluffy. Generously coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch-square or round cake pan with olive oil; add the egg mixture. Set in a roasting pan; add enough water to come 1/4 inch up the sides of the cake pan. Carefully transfer to the oven; bake until the eggs are set, 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, add the Canadian bacon and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side; set aside.
• Cut the baked eggs into 4 equal pieces. Spread the rolls with the dijonnaise, then sandwich with the Peppadews, bacon, cheese and eggs. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and bake until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss the greens with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the Peppadew brine and fried shallots; season with salt and pepper. Serve with the sandwiches.

POACHED EGGS, WILTED SPINACH AND PULLMAN LOAF TOAST WITH BACON, ONION AND TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• For the bacon, onion and tomato jam: Toss the bacon into a large saute pan with a few drops of olive oil and the crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the pan to medium heat and cook the bacon until brown and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Spoon out 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat from the pan and reserve. Add the onions and tomatoes and season with salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes and onions are soft and very aromatic, 12 to 15 minutes. Taste and reseason if needed. Stir in the oregano. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• For the toast and wilted spinach: Preheat a cast-iron griddle pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the butter and melt. Once melted, add the Pullman rounds and toast on both sides until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Once toasted, remove from the pan and carefully rub each piece with the garlic cloves. Set aside on plates.
• Add the reserved bacon fat to a large saute pan and preheat over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the spinach and salt and stir until wilted. Drain and discard any excess water. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Top the bread with the spinach just before serving.
• For the poached eggs: Fill a medium saucepan two-thirds of the way with water. Add the vinegar and bring to boil (BTB). Reduce the heat until no bubbles break the surface of the water¿the idea is to create an egg Jacuzzi, a very gentle cooking method.
• Crack the eggs into the poaching liquid and cook for 4 minutes. When done, the whites will be cooked through and the yolks will be warm and runny.
• Remove the eggs from the poaching liquid and blot on a paper towel before putting on the wilted spinach and toast. Top with the bacon jam and garnish with fresh oregano.
• Serve with a pitcher of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.

BAKED EGGS WITH BACON AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels. Pour off drippings from skillet; reserve drippings. Add spinach to pan, sprinkle with pepper, and toss over medium heat, 1 minute. Transfer to strainer set over bowl to drain. Brush four 1-cup ramekins with drippings. Crumble bacon.
• Place 1 toasted English muffin half, split side up, in each ramekin. Divide spinach among ramekins, then sprinkle bacon over, dividing equally. With back of spoon, shape well in center of each ramekin. Gently crack 1 egg into well in each ramekin, keeping yolk intact. Drizzle 1 tablespoon cream over each egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake eggs until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 14 to 16 minutes.

POACHED EGG CROSTONE WITH WILTED SPINACH AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine 1 cup olive oil and next 3 ingredients in small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes to release flavors. Remove from heat. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
• Using large serrated knife, trim off crust from top and sides of bread, leaving bottom crust intact to form rectangle-shaped loaf. Quarter trimmed loaf crosswise, forming 4 thick rectangular pieces. Cut deep nest in 1 piece, leaving 1/2-inch border on all 4 sides and 3/4-inch-thick base. Pull out bread center. Repeat with remaining bread pieces; reserve centers for another use. Place hollowed-out bread pieces on small baking sheet. Brush bread all over with olive oil mixture. Bake until bread is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Cool bread; maintain oven temperature.
• Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté 2 minutes. Add spinach and stir until just wilted. Fill 12-inch-diameter skillet with water to within 1/2 inch of top. Add vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Break 1 egg into small custard cup, being careful to keep yolk intact. Gently slide egg into boiling water; repeat with remaining eggs. Simmer until eggs are softly cooked, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fill each bread hollow with spinach; top with bacon, breaking bacon slices in half to fit. Place in oven until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Place 1 bread on each of 4 plates. Using slotted spoon, place 1 poached egg atop each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Top with Parmesan; serve immediately.