Alright, so this week I tried to make a version of eggs Benedict, called Eggs Blackstone, from our Williams-Sonoma breakfast cookbook. Instead of the traditional ham that's served with eggs Benedict, this version features tomato slices and bacon. (Mmm, bacon.) I love eggs Benedict even though it's an egg dish. I think this is mostly because of the Hollandaise sauce, aka butter. Wow, bacon and butter, does it get any better? (Side note: I wish this whole bed and breakfast thing came with a free gym membership.)
Let's just say that when I thought I was bad at making omelets, I didn't realize just how bad it could get. Mostly, it's my fault for not really prepping correctly--the top of my makeshift double boiler touched the boiling water, resulting in quickly cooked egg yolks, which, fyi, is not what Hollandaise sauce needs. Also, I think my water was too hot, because the Hollandaise kept getting really thick and I kept having to add more water. So, I'm not sure if it really reached the right consistency. The recipe shows a really pretty light yellow Hollandaise sauce, but mine turned orange (no that's not just my bad photography skills), even though I put in the right amount of cayenne pepper. It was also really spicy...maybe I didn't realize I used too much? I dunno, but it's definitely a possibility.
Furthermore, poaching eggs? I went through the entire carton of eggs trying to get this right. Water too close to boiling, water not close enough to boiling. Lemon juice vs vinegar to help set the whites. Undercooked, overcooked. I tried everything. I'm still not there, but I'm much closer! I've hence looked online for more tips...I learned that if you swirl the water first, it helps the egg whites to set better. Also, I've determined that it takes about 4 minutes, at this altitude anyway, to get them done correctly. But you have to serve them right away, or they'll keep cooking. I knew this culinary principle, but apparently decided to forget about it Wednesday night. I am already planning to go buy a double carton of eggs and try again. I refuse to let these poached eggs get the best of me!
Thanks to Dan for helping me take the pictures this week. He's much better at it than I am!
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