Sunday Brunch- Mutha-f*ckin’ good Eggs Benedict

Making a really good Eggs Benedict really isn’t that hard. *

Don’t we all really only order it in a restaurant for the bacon and hollandaise? Unfortunately, restaurants tend to be like crack dealers when it comes to bacon and hollandaise; you get a little taste, but if you want enough to seriously enjoy it’ll cost you.

So, why not make our own at home, where the bacon and hollandaise are plentiful?

In my version, I used Irvings Farm Jalapeno Back Bacon (if you haven’t tried it you are missing out!), a toasted english muffin, medium poached eggs, and made a super tasty creole hollandaise sauce to blanket the whole thing.

First off, I put some back bacon in the oven to cook- about 10 minutes on 375 degrees ought to do it.

Jalapeno Back Bacon

Then start on the hollandaise.

You really only need a few ingredients for a nice hollandaise:

4 egg yolks

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 tsp creole seasoning

1 defibrillator

-Heat yolks and lemon juice in a double boiler over low heat, whisking continuously until thickened. (3-5 minutes         approx.)

-Whisk in creole seasoning and slowly add the butter a little at a time. 

– Season with salt/pepper to taste. 

– If hollandaise gets too thick, add a spoonful of warm water to loosen it up again. 

– Have defibrillator on-hand just in case. 

When you’ve got your hollandaise and back bacon ready, and your english muffin toasted, it’s time do drop some eggs into a pot of near-boiling water (with a tablespoon or so of white vinegar added to it) and poach approximately 3-5 minutes until the white is set and the yolk is still slightly runny.

It’s assembly time!

English Muffin– Back Bacon– Poached Egg– Giant ladle of Hollandaise. Top with fresh chives so you can say you had vegetables, and you’re done. Time to unbutton the pants and get at it!

* You’re taking MY word for it? This was my first time!

Advertisement

Sunday Brunch: Leftovers Omelette with Bacon and Grilled Croissants

Is there anything more frustrating than trying to make the perfect omelette? Not to me there isn’t. They always seem to either stick to the pan causing me to end up with a scramble, or I greedily over-stuff them and they become un-foldable.

Regardless, they rarely work out for me.

To that end, I decided to have a backup plan just in case shit got crazy as usual. I figured I’d have a nice omelette with bacon and a grilled croissant if everything went according to plan, or a scrambled omelette and bacon croissant-wich. I figured that it was going to be delicious either way.

As usual, the first omelette was a disaster, so I got one of each.

As frustrating as I find omelettes to make, they are a great way to use up any leftovers from the night before.  And since today I happened to have leftover sauteed zucchini and roasted golden beets, it was a great day for frustration…I mean, omelette making.

I topped-up the ingredient list with some mushrooms and onions, sauteed with fresh rosemary and thyme, and deglazed with white wine. I used 2 different cheeses, both cheddar – Armstrong cheddar, and an old English cheddar that I think tastes like a cross between cheddar and parmesan. Delicious.

We had some croissants from Bon Ton Bakery begging to be eaten, so I dipped them in the bacon grease and grilled them to a nice golden brown.

I think the pictures tell the rest of the story just fine…

Enjoy!

Brunching at Home- Bailey’s French Toast

Ever since a conversation with Global News’ Jennifer Crosby where she mentioned that she makes Bailey’s French Toast, I’ve been wanting to give it a shot myself.

Jen says she just replaced the milk/ cream in a standard french toast recipe with Bailey’s. It’s as simple as that. So since I’ve developed this love for making Sunday Brunch at home, today was the day to try it out. After a bit of experimenting trying to get the flavour where I wanted it, I went with 3 eggs, 1/3 cup of Bailey’s, and just to Baconhound it up a another notch, a shooter of Amaretto.

Go big or go home, I always say.

The real spark of genius happened however, when I decided that the Bailey’s flavour still wasn’t as pronounced as I’d like, so I made a Salted Bailey’s Reduction to drizzle over top of the toast.

Is genius too strong of a word? I don’t think so.

Of course breakfast just wouldn’t feel right without a plate full of Irvings Farm bacon, so a baking sheet full of porky love was on the menu too.

The final result was a tasty, crispy french toast, that was simple to make and saves you $30 on eating out.

“Bailey’s French Toast”

3 eggs

1/3 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream

1 Ounce Amaretto

5 Sliced bread

 Mix wet ingredients and dip bread into it. Fry in buttered frying pan a few minutes each side until browned and crispy. Top with Salted Bailey’s Reduction. (A small amount goes a loooong way with the reduction)

Salted Bailey’s Reduction

1/2 to 3/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream

Pinch of fleur de sel or whatever salt you have

Reduce over medium heat until a syrup like consistency is achieved. Careful not to reduce too far as it will get too thick and sticky very quickly.