Poaching is a cooking technique used for foods that are delicate and easily dried out. Some examples of food traditionally poached are eggs, chicken, fish, and fruits. The cooking liquid is normally maintained at temperatures just below the boiling point for gentle, non-destructive heating of the food (165-180F). It is also used to impart flavor and therefore can be made of water, white wine, red wine, or a broth depending on the food being cooked. Usually for meats and poultry, fresh herbs and an acid such as vinegar or citrus juice are added to the broth. This mixture is called a "court bouillon." Cooking times are minimized to preserve the flavors of the food.
I selected Eggs Benedict for this weekend's recipe. Eggs Benedict is a breakfast meal consisting of Canadian bacon and a poached egg resting on top of a toasted English muffin with a generous drizzle of warm Hollandaise sauce. The poaching liquid for the egg is simply water with white vinegar and a pinch or two of salt. The vinegar helps with the coagulation of the egg whites to keep them from dispersing. I poached 4 fresh, jumbo eggs altogether. At first, they look like little ghosts as you pour each into the saucepan. After about 30 seconds, they transform from a clear, milky haziness surrounding the yolk to ivory white clouds wrapping a "yellow sun." It is truly a culinary sight to see. Despite not having a thermometer (it's on my list of cooking instrument to add to the repertoire), I was able to maintain the liquid just below boiling by watching for bubbles at the bottom of the saucepan. After about 2.5 minutes, I took the first one out. The yolk was runny just the way I liked it. I'd suggest for those that are not too fond of runniness, to leave them in for about 4 minutes (which is what I did for Rose, my girlfriend). Overall, each was a tremendous success.
The side bonus of this recipe was learning how to make a Hollandaise sauce. Two techniques for the price of one! A Hollandaise sauce is one of the 5 French Mother Sauces. The remaining four are Sauce Tomat, Bechamel, Veloute and Espagnole which are actually the original of the five sauces set forth by Antonin Carême. Hollandaise is an emulsion of egg yolk and butter with seasonings of salt, lemon juice, and cayenne or white pepper.
Now this task required some stamina. Two words, "continuous whisking." But don't be intimidated because the taste is worth it. Imagine a creamy but light textured sauce with soothing hints of lemon and a spark of cayenne pepper. Totally worth a tired arm in my book. Since temperature is key to the sauce, this more than doubled my desire to buy a cooking thermometer. Too hot and you'll scramble the eggs. Too cold and you'll be there forever trying to melt each tbsp of butter. I began with a whisk and a double boiler setup over medium heat and combined three fresh jumbo egg yolks, water, cayenne, and salt. After a good whisking, I heated the mixture by putting it on and off the heat 15 seconds at a time. Once the sauce was warm to the touch, I slowly added a tbsp of butter each 30 seconds while still alternating on and off the heat. Eight minutes and 8 ounces of unsalted butter later, voilà! Hollandaise! Halfway through the butter additions, I added the lemon juice. After a final tasting, a tad bit more cayenne was needed. Key learning, the speed and intensity of the whisking will change the frothiness of your sauce. Be careful.
Overall, I think its safe to say that my first time cooking Eggs Benedict was a landslide success. Everything came out as I hoped it would and no disappoints. Yes I admit, this recipe was on the safe side, but I think it has definitely gotten the ball rolling and my confidence up. More good eats to come! Caio.
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