Egg Benedict with Caviar, photo by JMorton for GlobalGranary.life
This breakfast or brunch is just the business for a lazy, indulgent weekend.
This is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and the tastebuds. As you cut into the egg, the still runny yolk deliciously gush out from the inside. The saltiness of the caviar gives this recipe that ‘nuttiness’ goodness! 🙂
Bring a deep saucepan of water to the boil (at least 2 litres) and add the vinegar. Break the eggs into 4 separate coffee cups or ramekins. Split the muffins, toast them and warm some plates.
Swirl the vinegared water briskly to form a vortex and slide in an egg. It will curl round and set to a neat round shape. Cook for 2-3 mins, then remove with a slotted spoon.
Repeat with the other eggs, one at a time, re-swirling the water as you slide in the eggs. Spread some sauce on each muffin, scrunch a slice of ham on top, then top with an egg. Spoon over the remaining hollandaise.
I first saw and heard of the above recipe from my good friend, Bless Mercado. She cooks this all the time as it is a great favourite of her Habibi (Sweetheart).
Anyway, it does look good in the photo, showing in their translucent wrappers. I googled for the recipe and found this one by the chef extra-ordinaire himself, Gordon Ramsey!
Below is his recipe.
Gordon: “On my last night in Vietnam I served these spring rolls as the first of seven courses. They work perfectly as an appetiser and look pretty impressive, too. For the best results you need to use the freshest ingredients. For extra crunch I have used baby gem lettuce, however, follow your palate to chop and change the ingredients in the rolls, such as using crab instead of the prawns, changing the pork for mushrooms or, if you don’t like rice noodles, add more lettuce and cucumber. The hoisin peanut dipping sauce is one of the most commonly served accompaniments to these rolls.”
Makes 12
Ingredients
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp Chinese five-spice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g pork tenderloin fillet, sinew removed and finely sliced
Vegetable oil, for frying
For the dressing
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
For the spring rolls
1 baby gem lettuce, washed, core removed and shredded
Handful of coriander leaves, torn
12 sheets of rice paper, 16cm in diameter
Small handful of Thai basil, picked
Small handful of saw leaf or mint leaves, picked
Small handful of coriander leaves, picked
200g cooked rice vermicelli noodles
12 chive flowers
12 cooked prawns, peeled, de-veined and cut in half lengthways
For the dipping sauce
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 red Thai chilli, finely chopped
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
4–6 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp tamarind paste
Method
1. For the pork, mix together the sesame oil, five-spice and salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the pork strips and toss together to coat. Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the pork strips for 2–3 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
2. To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl to combine. Add the shredded baby gem and coriander leaves and coat well in the dressing.
3. Fill a large bowl with warm water and, one at a time, quickly dip in each sheet of rice paper, passing them through but not soaking them. Drain them flat on a clean, damp cloth. Do not over-soak or they will fall apart and tear when being rolled.
4. To make the dipping sauce, gently fry the garlic and chilli in a little oil in a frying pan for 2 minutes until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 6–8 minutes until reduced by half, adding extra water if needed to loosen the sauce.
5. To make the rolls, lay all your ingredients in an assembly line. Take one rice paper sheet and lay it flat on a clean surface. Place the herbs on top and gently create a small pile of rice noodles on top (the pile should be long and narrow). Fold over two sides of the rice paper to enclose the filling and roll over once. Place the chive flower alongside the rolled up section. Take one strip of pork and two halves of prawn and lay them neatly alongside the chive flower – they should be positioned tightly against the roll. Slowly roll once again. Tuck the edge of the rice paper into the filling. To seal the roll, lightly brush the rice paper with warm water. (Make sure the filling is compact.) The prawn and spring onion should be visible through the rice paper. Repeat the process with the remaining sheets of rice paper. Cover with cling film to stop the rolls drying out. Serve with the dipping sauce.
2. Butter four ramekins (about 7.5cm in diameter), then dust liberally with cocoa, shaking out any excess.
3. Slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a small bowl set over a pan of hot water, then take off the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Using an electric whisk, whisk the whole egg, egg yolk and sugar together until pale and thick, then incorporate the chocolate mixture. Fold in the liqueur, followed by the flour. Divide the chocolate mixture between the ramekins and bake for 12 minutes.
5. Turn the chocolate fondants out on to warmed plates. Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I have tried this recipe several times and would come out fantastic each time.
Gordon Ramsay’s honey-glazed carrots and parsnips
Serves: 8
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Skill level: Easy
Ingredients
500g parsnips
500g carrots
2–3 tbsp olive oil
Few thyme sprigs
1 cinnamon stick, broken in two
3 star anise
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1–2 tbsp clear honey
Splash of water
Few knobs of butter
Method
Peel and halve or quarter the parsnips and carrots so that the pieces are of a similar size.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning.
Cook over a medium heat for 15–20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.
Drizzle over the honey and cook until the vegetables start to caramelise. Deglaze the pan with the water and increase the heat. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the carrots and parsnips are cooked through.
Recipes: Gordon Ramsay suggests giving turkey a twist to surprise your festive guests
By Gordon Ramsay
Serves 10-12.
You will need:
150g caster sugar
2 star anise
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
250g fresh cranberries
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and chopped
60ml ruby port
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
Method
Put the sugar into a heavy-based pan with the star anise and cardamom pods and melt over a medium heat.
Allow the melted sugar to turn a rich caramel colour, then add the cranberries and a touch of seasoning.
Cook briefly until the cranberries begin to soften, then add the apples and cook for three to four minutes, tossing frequently to coat the fruit in the caramel.
Pour in the port, then reduce the heat slightly and stir in the orange zest and juice. Simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing some of the cranberries to break down and thicken the sauce.
Remove from the heat and discard the star anise and cardamom. Serve warm.
This can be made three to four days in advance and kept in the fridge.
