Pittsburgh Eggs Benedict
I love this dish. I order it every time I go out for breakfast if it's on the menu. Hollandaise sauce can be great or gross, but I like this version. Not too acidic, but not too creamy. My preference for this is to use Mancini raisin bread for the bottom layer, but that's just me. Feel free to be more traditional and use Mancini's Italian or any other high quality bread you have on hand. I also love Isaly's fresh chipped ham more than your traditional Canadian bacon, so I use that instead.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Mancini's Italian Bread cut into thick slices
- ½ lb. Isaly's Chipped Ham
- 8 eggs
- vinegar just a splash
Hollandaise Sauce
- ¼ c. unsalted butter
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk yolks. Add lime juice, cream, salt and pepper and mix well. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until melted completely. Remove from heat and add a very small amount of butter to the eggs and continue to stir. Don't add the hot butter too quickly or the eggs with clump and cook. Slowly incorporate all of the butter one spoonful at a time and set aside.
Poaching the Eggs
- Fill a medium pot with approximately 3 inches of water. Bring it to a simmer. You should see small bubbles coming to the top, but do not bring to a rolling boil. Add a splash of white vinegar to the water to help keep the egg together.
- Crack an egg into a small measuring cup and then lower into the water. Time for 3 minutes and then remove the egg with a slotted spoon. Be careful not to puncture the yolk. If white foam forms on the top of the water, just skim it off. While the eggs are poaching pan fry the ham until heated for a few minutes. The ham will release some water.
Assembly
- Toast two slices of the bread and butter. Then place cooked ham, followed by poached egg. Hollandaise sauce may need to be reheated, but be careful not to overheat or the eggs will cook and the sauce will become clumpy. Leave on low heat for less than a minute while stirring constantly. Drizzle over the bread, ham, and egg.
