I’ve been trying to perfect poached eggs, Vincent Price style, throughout my holiday week. We always treat ourselves to stonking great big brunches when we are in Mersea, like this:
So every day I’ve been experimenting with Vincent’s method of boiling eggs for 10 seconds before poaching in a whirlpool of water with a tablespoon of vinegar added. Mr R’s been creating the whirlpool and I’ve been cracking the eggs into the centre and then trying to remember to put the timer on… So far, 2 minutes and 20 seconds has been the most successful timing yet, but I’m going to go for 2 minutes 10 next time…
When Heather came to stay a couple of weekends ago, I’d promised to make her Eggs Benedict, as she’d sent me this article about who might have invented this divine dish – Who Invented Eggs Benedict – a Traitor, a Pope, or a Hungover Dude?
This picture found on The King Of Babylon Tumblr page – genius!
Naturally, I turned to Vincent for a Hollandaise Sauce recipe, I remembered that in the Treasury of Great Recipes, he described one that was made in a blender. This will DEFINITELY go into the Columbo cookbook, as there is an episode where the Lieutenant appears on a TV cooking show with Martin Landau and together they make Hollandaise Sauce using a blender.
I think Heather really enjoyed making the whirlpool. To be honest, I’m not sure poaching eggs by this method can be done alone, I think you need a helper, which is always nice in the kitchen ‘aint it?
My Hollandaise was cooking a little too long so curdled a bit, it was still bloody delicious though! I’m still away from my recipe books for a few days, but when I get back I’ll pop Vincent’s recipe in here…
Hollandaise was always such a nerve-racking endeavor for me until recently…when I discovered the blender method too (actually I use an electric hand mixer…but same result). This was a life saver because one of Mr.Alex’s favorite dishes is Eggs Benedict! And thanks to YOU, we have a new fav…Eggs Benedict on POTATO WAFFLES!
Mmmm! I am going to get me some Potato Waffles very soon and have exactly that. Ooh, just thought. Mr R has a portion of Marilyn Monroe Stuffing in his freezer. I might pinch it off him, make a waffle from it and have a Marilyn Monroe Eggs Benedict mash-up!
Those poached eggs look pretty good to me!
(says the girl who has never attempted to make them)
Ooh, you should – they are yummy!
For the eggs; do you boil them for 10 seconds still in the shell, and then break them into the poaching liquid?
Hi Bob, yes, that’s right. I guess boiling them in the shell for 10 seconds makes the albumen (if that’s the right word) start to set a little bit before you pop the egg into the poaching liquid. In the back of my mind I think that Julia Child suggested doing this too…