Eggs Royale

by Jilly McCord

This is a decadent brunch recipe and might be the perfect treat for all the lovely Mums out there on Mothering Sunday. The lovely oozing poached eggs with the sharp lemon in the Hollandaise create the perfect balance to go with the smoky fish. This Hollandaise recipe is hopefully straightforward to follow and once you know how it can be used again and again. Seasoning is key - ground black pepper and sea salt a must – the Cole & Mason London Stained Wood Salt & Pepper Mills – Cole & Mason UK (coleandmason.com) are perfect for the recipe and for your brunch table to allow everyone to cater to their own tastes (and look beautiful!). If salmon is not your preference, you can substitute for ham or bacon. Also, top tip is to cook your poached eggs ahead of time and place in iced water until you are just about ready to serve when you can return them to the simmering water for a minute to heat through. I hope you give this one a go and enjoy this unctuous treat with someone special!

Difficulty: Medium

Cooking/prep time: 20 mins prep; 15 mins cooking time

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients:

For the Hollandaise

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 3 egg yolks
• 100g butter
• ½ a lemon

 For the eggs

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 free range eggs (fresh as possible)

 For the spinach

• 250g spinach
• ½ shallot
• Knob of butter

For the salmon and muffins

• 1 packet of good quality smoked salmon (200-250g)
• 1 packet of English Muffins
• 1 packet of chives to garnish

Method: 

For the poached eggs

1. Use a small sieve to and crack the egg one by one into it. Let the watery part of the egg drain through, hopefully leaving just the yolk and inner white.
2. Place in a lightly oiled ramekin
3. Repeat the process
4. Heat the water in a saucepan and add 1 tbsp white wine vinegar until it is simmering
5. Get a bowl and fill with cold water and ice – ready to place the ggs in after poaching
6. Carefully slide the eggs from the ramekins into the simmering water
7. Gently poach until the white is firm, but there is still lots of wobble in the yolk (around 2 minutes)
8. Carefully lift out with a slotted spoon and place in the iced water. Leave there until you are ready to serve.

For the Spinach

Chop the shallot as finely as possible and gently heat a frying pan with the butter. Sauté the shallot until soft. Add the spinach and cover until it has wilted. Season generously with ground black pepper and sea salt.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

For the Muffins

Cut the muffins in half and place on a baking sheet until ready to toast. As your Hollandaise is thickening, toast under a hot grill on both sides.

For the Hollandaise

1. In a small heavy based pan, add the vinegar and 3 tbsp of cold water. Grind black pepper into the liquid
2. Place on the hob and reduce the liquid by about half – leave to cool
3. Separate 3 eggs, retaining the yolks for this recipe (you can freeze the whites and use in the future for meringue)
4. In a small jug, add the butter and heat in the microwave on full power for 1 minute until fully melted. Remove from microwave and, as the butter begins to cool down, remove the white, foamy part from the top. You should be left with only the clarified butter beneath (don’t worry if there is a little left in there)
5. Now take a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water (they should not be touching). Place the cooled water and vinegar mixture in the bowl and add the egg yolks – whisk continuously (maybe around 10 minutes) until the egg yolk has emulsified (thickened a little and grown in volume).
6. At this stage, you should begin toasting your muffins and get you eggs back in the poaching water for around a minute. Then remove and place on kitchen roll until ready to plate.
7. Remove the thickened egg mixture from the heat and pour in the clarified butter in a steady trickle, whisking all the time. The mixture should now thicken into a rich, glossy sauce. Once you have used all of the butter, add the juice from half a lemon.

To plate

Take the toasted muffin and use the bottom half on the plate. Add the wilted spinach, then a generous portion of the smoked salmon. Place the poached egg on top and then spoon the Hollandaise sauce over it. Garnish with black pepper, chives and a little lemon zest.