Eggs Benedict

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 8 slices streaky bacon
• 4 muffins
• Hollandaise sauce
• 225g butter
• 2 tbsp malt or white wine vinegar
• 6 white peppercorns
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 egg yolks
• Salt and pepper

Poached Eggs

• 2L water
• 35ml malt vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• 4 free-range eggs

Method:

To begin, melt the butter in the pan and leave to cool slightly. Note that if it’s too hot, the melted butter sauce will begin to curdle. Also, don’t use the solids which form at the bottom of the pan- these can be discarded as you only need the clarified butter.

Next, boil the vinegar with peppercorns, reducing the liquid by half. Add in the cold water to cool and drain through a sieve, adding in the egg yolks and whisking together.

Place the bowl over a pot of hot water and whisk until it becomes a smooth ribbon texture. Once this stage has been reached, remove the bowl from the heat, continuing to whisk, slowly adding in the warm clarified butter. When all of the butter is added and whisked in, the sauce should be a thick consistency, which can now be seasoned with salt and pepper.

For the poached eggs:

Bring the water, vinegar and salt to the boil in a large saucepan and using a whisk, stir the water rapidly so that it begins to swirl and dip in the middle. At this moment, crack the egg in the middle, allowing it to simmer gently for one minute and fifty seconds.

Next, using a slotted spoon, remove and serve immediately. Or, if not serving immediately, plunge the eggs into ice cold water and preserve in the fridge until ready to use. Then, to reheat, gently warm for 40-50 seconds in a pot of salted, boiling water.

For the bacon:

Place eight rashers of streaky bacon under the grill to cook until golden and crispy.

For the muffins

Slice both muffins to toast on one side. Once toasted, lightly butter and place onto a plate, adding on two rashers of bacon on top. Place the poached egg on top of the bacon, drizzling with hollandaise sauce.

Serve and enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee.