Eggs Benedict – the history bit

The jury is out as to when eggs benedict first appeared either on a menu or in a restaurant. One thing is for sure it was definitely in New York, USA. It could be as early as 1860. There are lots of stories but the one I like the best is from 1894 when “Lemuel Benedict wanted a hangover cure and ordered buttered toast, poached eggs, crispy bacon and a hooker of hollandaise”. It was Oscar Tschirky, the maître d'hôtel who subsequently put it on the breakfast and lunch menus but changed the bacon for ham and the toast for a toasted English muffin.

A “Hooker” of hollandaise? – “hollandaise” means “from Holland” and probably the Hook of Holland - a town in the south west, hence the hooker, may be?

The sauce was originally Sauce Isigny – not surprisingly French and from the Normandy region in particular. It's thought that it morphed into hollandaise when butter was imported from Holland during World War I. These days Isigny sur mer is famous for its cream, butter and cheese. Its high quality butter is still produced the old fashioned way – churning.

There are heaps of alternatives to the “Benedict”.

Here are three :

Blanchard substitutes Béchamel sauce for Hollandaise

Florentine substitutes spinach for the ham or adds it underneath.

Mornay substitutes a cheese sauce for Hollandaise

I couldn't leave out “Irish Benedict” - replaces the ham with corned beef or Irish bacon.

Hats off to Oscar Tschirky who had the idea of serving the benedict on a toasted muffin - genius – a perfectly neat shape just right for a poached egg.

You never know where this history stuff is going to take you – I hope I haven't bored you – you know what they say, “you learn something new every day”!

Now for the recipe …

The poached egg photo guide

The egg submerged in the pan

The kitchen roll and the slotted spoon

Toast your muffin and butter generously!

Your egg draining on the kitchen roll

Ta dah – your egg on the muffin, seasoned

and oozing – yum

Now for the Benedict bit!

The poached egg!

I said when I reviewed Hive Beach Café that I'd eaten the best poached eggs I'd had in years.

Sometimes when you sample food on holiday the memory stays with you – whether bad or good! In this instance good. I came home and was inspired to replicate the Smoked Salmon Benedict dish.

You'd think that a poached egg and toast were the easiest elements in the world to cook – and then I remembered there's a certain knack to a poached egg. I don't use any of the kit you can buy, for example silicone pods, poaching pans, microwaveable kit, et al and don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with any of them if that's your bag. I'm a saucepan of simmering water and a couple of shakes of malt vinegar gal and the only physical kit is my timer. That's before we even get started on the Hollandaise Sauce so you've got double trouble!

If you are a certain age and spent any time in your family kitchen then you'll have been brought up poaching eggs this way. There are however hints and tips that might be helpful if you want to have a go.

Here are mine :

Make sure your eggs are fresh.

Use the correct size of saucepan – you need room to move with your slotted spoon. The pan I use measures 19cms in diameter (7 ½” in old money).

If you aren't confident breaking an egg into simmering water then don't – break gently into a saucer – it's easier to slide in.

It takes approximately 3 minutes to poach a large egg – set your stall out – if you don't you'll finish up with a cold poached egg!

Arm yourself with kitchen roll and a slotted spoon. They serve a very useful purpose, have a couple of sheets of kitchen roll ready, when you lift out your egg with the slotted spoon set it on top of the kitchen roll to absorb any excess water.

I've always added a couple of drops of malt vinegar to the water, there'll be others who will disagree. I was taught that it helps the whites cook and so you don't get lots of wispy bits. Whilst I'm on the subject don't add any salt to the water, if you do you'll loosen the whites.

Finally, don't try and be clever and poach too many eggs at a time, it may be a bit of a faff but you want to serve your eggs hot on your buttered muffin so I'd opt for two. They don't take long to cook and it's better than cold poached eggs.

It may be old fashioned but it works for me!

Photo guide up next.

Your dessert choices

You don't have to put yourself under undue pressure – your main aim is to make it easy on yourself and to deliver a delectable dessert.

You've already got one choice - “The Rhubarb and the rest” gives you rhubarb and ice cream – but not as you know it.

If you prefer the strawberry route, you have two choices of ice cream – both no-churn – to go with the Strawberry Summer Pudding and syrup - “Speaking of seasonal fresh fruit”posted on 14th July 2019 gives you strawberry ice cream – the best ever I may say! If you fancy something a little different then check out “Strawberries and ice cream and Strawberry Miso Ripple posted, with photos on 21st July 2019.

I hope this birthday lunch menu with its recipes and hints and tips has given you inspiration for your own summer celebrations and you can create your own “creaking table”. As for me and my over-catering condition I'd prefer to call it generosity of spirit – and table! What's the worst that can happen – I have enough food leftover for lunches and suppers for the following couple of days – I can't lose.

Happy summer!

P.s. Whilst I'm on the subject of “summer pudding” I'm already thinking ahead. It won't be long before we're into Autumn and beyond (I'm sorry but you'll thank me for the ideas). Let me ask you a question – do you ever end up with a panettone you don't really like? Check out Cherry and Chocolate Panettone Pudding and The Pudding cont'd – complete with photos 16th December 2016. You'll be glad you did.

Finally, in my defence, I bought a chocolate panettone yesterday – here's a photo to prove it!

The rhubarb and the rest!

Roasting rhubarb is the best way of cooking this delicious fruit – it holds its shape, not disintegrating into an unrecognisable mush! It deserves so much more. In addition this recipe is the easiest ever.

Roasted Rhubarb

Serves 4

550g rhubarb

85g golden caster sugar

Pre-heat your oven 200c/180fan/Gas 6.

Rinse the rhubarb and shake off excess water. Trim the ends and cut the rhubarb into little pieces. Put the rhubarb in a shallow dish or baking sheet with sides, tip the sugar over, toss it then shuffle the rhubarb so it remains in a single layer.

Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the foil – the sugar should have dissolved so give everything a shake and roast for another 5 minutes or until tender and the juices are syrupy. Test with a sharp knife, the rhubarb should feel tender, not mushy and kept its shape.

The rhubarb freezes extremely well – my usual note of caution – freeze in smaller amounts, less waste!

At this stage you have a choice of dessert options and added components too.

If you're a fan of rhubarb have a look at “Speaking of the rhubarb harvest” 26th May 2018 for link on the blog – it gives a series of rhubarb recipes and photos too – you might like the no-churn ice cream, “Ritzy Rhubarb Ripple”. You'd actually do yourself two favours – roasting the rhubarb and making the ice cream gives you a complete dessert in the freezer which you can make whenever you have time.

Your dessert choices up next.

Birthday lunch puds – what's next

Assembling your pudding - you'll need :

1 litre (1&¾pt) basin.

A plain sided cutter slightly larger than the base of the basin.

Cling film and a drop of vegetable oil

Wipe the inside of the basin with a drop of vegetable oil. Place the cling in the basin and line ensuring that you have enough so that it overlaps the basin.

Cut out a circle of cake for the base and place it in the basin. Line the rest of the basin – I overlap each piece of cake – but it's whatever you'd prefer.

Using a slotted spoon fill the cake lined basin with the strawberry compote – set aside the compote syrup, box and fridge. Top the pudding with slices of cake and cover completely. Fold the cling film over the pudding to seal.

Place a slightly smaller plate or saucer on top of the basin and weigh down with a tin (the heaviest in your pantry/store cupboard). Fridge it for 12-24 hours.

To serve, remove the tin and plate, unwrap the cling film, cover the bowl with a large plate. Invert the pudding onto the plate and remove the cling film.

Serve the compote syrup in a jug on the side, ready to drizzle over the pudding. Add whatever takes your fancy - cream, ice cream or custard.

Coming up … the rhubarb and the rest!

The birthday lunch – the puds

The old ones are the best and seasonal even better. I decided to showcase both - a traditional summer pudding using strawberries – two ticks! Three if you count the fact that you make it 12-24 hours ahead so another “make ahead” tick. It also looks spectacular when it's turned out.

I'm not sure why – I think I have OCOCD – obsessive compulsive over catering disorder - I have to serve two puds – so I've decided it will be roasted rhubarb too – more ticks, make ahead and freeze too.

Strawberry and rhubarb are another marriage made in heaven, so whatever combination the guests desire.

Back to the Strawberry Summer Pudding, I know I've mentioned it before on the blog but it's worth repeating - it uses fresh fruits in season and uses Madeira cake and not the traditional bread. For those out there who have been kind enough to follow the blog since the beginning, you'll know already of my aversion to dishes like rice pudding, sago and semolina – wet bread joins that list!

Strawberry Summer Pudding

Make double the quantity of strawberry compote

1kg ripe strawberries, hulled

8 tbsp caster sugar

4 tbsp lemon juice

Cut the strawberries in half – or quarters if large – place in a large saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 8/10 minutes until dark in colour and syrupy. Let the compote cool.

Madeira cake – I use an inexpensive shop bought cake (265g) – sliced lengthways into quarter inch/5mm slices and neatened. Here's where it's difficult to predict whether you'd need one cake or two – cake size varies depending which supermarket you use. I'd err on the side of caution and opt for two. For the size of basin stated, it takes approximately 10 slices of cake.

Assembly up next.