Eggs Benedict with Creamy Leeks and Smoked Salmon

Eggs Benedict with Creamy Leeks and Smoked Salmon

00:00 Intro
01:00 Poached eggs general info and using Chinese colander
05:31 Poached eggs using a regular colander
06:02 Storing and rewarming poached eggs
07:25 Hollandaise using a pot
13:11 Hollandaise using a blender
14:12 Creamy Leeks
16:00 Game plan for 1-3 eggs without helpers
17:06 Game plan for 4-12 eggs with helpers

Serves 8

Creamy Leeks (can be made a day ahead)
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400g trimmed leeks, diced and washed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt

Set a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and wait for it to get hot. Add the leeks and the wine. Season with salt, cover, and cook until tender, about 10 min. Uncover and cook until all the liquid evaporates and the leeks just start to brown. Add the cream and cook for a few minutes until the cream thickens. Taste and adjust for salt.

Poached Eggs
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In case you want a chinese colander (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3bKnaWx

Strain the eggs as shown in the video.
Put at least 1.3 inches of water (3.5cm) into a skillet (the depth is important so that the eggs are submerged). Bring to a simmer and season with salt. For Chinese colander: lower it into the skillet and cook very gently until done. For regular colander: pour the eggs into the skillet and cook very gently until done. After the first 2 minutes or whenever they start to set, separate them with a spoon. The rough cooking time is 3-5 min.

Remove to dry off on a paper towel. Either serve immediately or cool in cold water and rewarm for 15 min at 140F (60C).

Hollandaise
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1 medium shallot (the exact size doesn’t matter)
1/2 cup dry white wine
113 g unsalted butter (1 stick) in 8 pieces
2 yolks from large eggs at room temp for 20 min (if the yolks are unusually large, use 1)
Lemon juice and salt to taste
Hot water just in case you need to thin out the sauce

If you aren’t planning to use the sauce immediately, fill a small thermos with boiling water and let it warm up for at least 10 min. After your sauce is done, dump the water, and pour the sauce into the thermos to keep warm.

Gently simmer shallots and wine in a small pot until the shallots are limp, about 10 min. Strain reserving the liquid and discarding the shallots. Measure out 3 Tbsp of this liquid and return to the pot. If you don’t have enough, add water. The shallot reduction can be done in advance.

Add the butter to the shallot reduction, set over medium heat. When the butter is almost melted, whisk vigorously until the mixture is perfectly smooth and there is no separation between the fat and the water. The mixture should be around 180F (82C). Take the pot off the burner. Immediately pour a couple of ladlefuls into the yolks whisking constantly. The exact amount is not important. We just want to warm up the yolks.

Pour the egg mixture back into the pot whisking constantly and set on low heat. Cook whisking constantly until the sauce gives you a hint of thickening. Immediately take off heat (it will continue to thicken). If not thick enough, go back on the heat. Once you are off the heat, keep whisking for 30 seconds to let the pot cool off a bit. Season with salt and lemon juice. If too thick, thin out with a few teaspoons of hot water. Either use immediately or pour into a warmed up thermos.

To serve, toast a bread of your choice in butter, top with creamy leeks, a slice of smoked salmon, poached egg, and hollandaise. Sprinkle with chives, dill, or tarragon.

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