Eggs Royale
A classic breakfast for lazy weekend mornings. Zingy hollandaise is paired perfectly with the creamy poached eggs and fresh smoked salmon.
Ingredients
For the Hollandaise sauce:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Splash of lemon juice
130g salted butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
For the dish:
2 English muffins, sliced in half and grilled
Smoked salmon or smoked trout
2 eggs
Chive, finely sliced
Method
For the Hollandaise sauce:
In a small sauce pan, on lowest heat, slowly melt the butter without stirring or shaking it. This will allow the butter to clarify, meaning the milk solids will sink to the bottom, leaving a clear butter above. Once clarified, turn off heat and set aside.
Put water into a pan, filling only about 5cm from the bottom, and bring to a low simmer.
In a medium bowl over the pan of barely simmering water, whisk the egg yolks, vinegar & squeeze of lemon, and whisk until it forms a smooth and creamy paste. Remove from the heat and set bowl on the counter resting on a towel, and begin to add the clarified butter little by little, continuously whisking until the mixture forms a smooth, creamy sauce, and all the clarified butter has been added.
Add salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Keep warm by putting the finished sauce back over the steaming pan of water. Make sure not to over heat it.
If the sauce splits or feels too thick, you can save it by adding a few drops of cold water and whisking further. This should bring it back to a smooth sauce consistency.
To poach the eggs, in a medium heavy bottomed pan, bring water with a splash of white wine vinegar to a rolling boil.
Carefully crack each egg on to a sieve, to remove any watery yolk, then put each one in a little bowl.
When the water is boiling, with a wooden spoon, swirl the water in circles until it forms a circular ‘current’. When the water is swirling, carefully lower the egg into the centre of the swirling water. Leave to cook for 3 minutes. Once it’s cooked, remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess water.
To assemble, place on a plate the grilled muffin, topped with the smoked salmon or trout, followed by the poached egg and drizzled with the hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.