Eggs Benedict & Röstis
Crispy potato röstis instead of muffins, cold curls of smoked salmon, poached eggs and a two-minute blender hollandaise - mimosas optional.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minutes, plus 20 minutes standing
Cook time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
700g Carisma potatoes
1 brown onion, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped, plus extra for serving
1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
vegetable oil, for frying
200g smoked salmon
8 very fresh organic eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar
For the hollandaise
2 egg yolks
1 pinch dried tarragon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
150g butter
1/2 lemon, juiced
To serve
baby leaves
salt and pepper
METHOD
Grate the potatoes and onion and toss in the 1 teaspoon of salt. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Squeeze out the excess liquid and combine with the flour, dill and chives.
Divide into 8 messy patties and fry over medium heat in a large pan in vegetable oil until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes a side. Keep warm until serving.
For the hollandaise, in a jar that can accommodate a stick blender, melt the butter, and while still warm add the lemon, mustard, tarragon and egg yolks. Blend with the stick blender until completely emulsified. Set aside until ready to serve.
Bring a deep pan (non-stick is helpful) of water to a soft simmer with the 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Don't be afraid here - the best way to approach the many-poach is to just crack them all in and let them softly cook. Gently loosen and lift the whites in case they are sticking. It's a good time to turn the water off and dish up everything else while they finish cooking.
Arrange each plate with 2 warm röstis and some curls of cold smoked salmon. Top with perfectly poached eggs and a decent pour of hollandaise. Serve with some baby spinach or salad leaves and lots of salt and pepper.
Mimosas are optional.
HINTS
Salting the grated potato and onion, then squeezing hard, is what gets the röstis crisp - wet potato steams instead of frying.
The blender hollandaise is foolproof: warm (not hot) melted butter poured onto the yolks and blitzed emulsifies every time, no double boiler, no split sauce.
Poach all eight eggs at once in gently simmering vinegar water and turn the heat off to finish - it takes the fear out of poaching a crowd.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 12400kJ (2965 calories)
Protein: 110g
Fat: 220g
Saturated fat: 100g
Carbohydrates: 130g
Sugars: 10g
Fibre: 12g
Sodium: 4500mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.