Brunch to me is all about Eggs Benedict!
It is a dish that I’m guaranteed to have at any brunch. Recently, I was in Annapolis and had an amazing crab cake Benedict which was absolutely to-die-for. It got me thinking how I could create my spin on it and I came up with a salmon cake.
It really is a wonderful alternative to the regular English muffin – much more flavour and texture, and probably a bit healthier too! Did I mention it’s gluten free?
I love the sweetness the comes through in the salmon cake, the tanginess of the roasted tomato, and hollandaise and creamy poached egg. A delicious combination.
Eggs Benedict has a few steps to it, however, it can be done at home. If you haven’t made it before, make sure to test it out before you try it on a crowd so that you know what to expect. Enjoy and Happy Easter!
For the Salmon Cake
Makes approx. 6 cakes
Level: easy
Gluten free!
Ingredients
¾ lb cooked, flaked salmon
2 small sweet potatoes
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of butter
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup diced shallot
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 egg
1 tbsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
Your favourite hot sauce (to taste)
Method
Start by peeling the sweet potato and cut into same in size cubes. Transfer to pot filled with salted water. Bring the sweet potato to boil and simmer until fork tender. Strain and transfer to food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to medium mixing bowl. In a medium sized frying pan, heat up oil and butter on medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the bell pepper, shallot, and ginger. Cook until tender not browned. Add the cooked vegetables to the sweet potato puree, along with the flaked salmon and the final 6 ingredients. Mix together well. Using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop the mixture and form into a patty (like you would making burgers). Transferred to a baking tray lined with parchment.
Wrap the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm the patties up. At this point you can freeze the patties on the tray. Once frozen, they can be wrapped individually and kept frozen in a zip top bag for up to four months. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 30 – 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
For the Roasted Tomato
Ingredients
1 medium sized tomato
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice tomato into thick rounds (1cm thick – approx. 4 slices per tomato). Place onto baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and roast for 25 – 30 minutes. Try to time this at the same time the salmon cakes are baking. Set aside until ready to assemble eggs benedict.
For the Poached Eggs
Ingredients
4 eggs
Juice of 1 lemon
Method
Bring water to a gentle simmer. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to water. Gently crack 1 egg into a ramekin or glass (to help with pouring). Using a slotted spoon, slowly swirl the water in a wide circular motion to form a vortex. Gradually add the egg and allow to simmer for around 5 minutes or until the egg whites are cooked, but the egg yolks are still runny. Time will differ depending on heat.
Tip – You can make poached eggs in advance! Follow the first five steps, and transfer straight to an ice bath and keep in refrigerator until ready to use. Simply heat through in a pot of simmering water for no more than 1 minute – you don’t want to overcook your eggs!
For the Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
4 egg yolks
2 tbsp lemon juice (or to tasted)
6 oz cold cubed butter
Method
Using the double boiler method, bring a small pot of water to a simmer and place a heat proof bowl over the top. Add the egg yolks and whisk until they begin to turn lighter in colour. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, save the other for the end. Gradually add 1 cube of butter at a time while whisking constantly. After each cube has been incorporated, add another. Alternate by whisking over the heat and off the heat to prevent from seizing or separating. This process may take 20 minutes or so. Add remaining lemon juice.
Tip – Unfortunately hollandaise does not keep well. You can make about 1 hour ahead of time. If it thickens too much, you can add just a touch of the warm water from the poached egg liquid to loosen up.
To assemble:
Place salmon cake on the plate, followed by the roasted tomato, optional spinach, poached egg, and finally spoon over the hollandaise sauce. Add a sprinkle of cayenne (watch out, it is spicy!) or cracked black pepper for garnish. Serve with roasted asparagus if desired!
Crepes
Crepes are one of the very first things I remember learning to cook in the kitchen as a kid. So whenever I make them, it takes me back to my childhood when my mum and I would spend the morning whipping up dozens of crepes for a big festive brunch. We would set them out on the table, family style, and lay out all of the fillings. We would fill them with whatever we had in the house, lemon, sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread, maple syrup, fruit, and honey. I hope you enjoy making them as much as I do and who knows, maybe this will be the start of a new brunch tradition in your house!
Crepes
Makes 8
Level easy!
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ caster sugar
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup whole milk
2 tbsp melted unsalted butter + more to coat frying pan
Method
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together flower and sugar and form a well. In a large liquid measuring jug, add milk and eggs, whisk well until properly combined. Slowly add egg mixture to well of the flour mixture and begin to whisk, gradually combining the flour into the egg mixture. Add the melted butter at the end and whisk so there are no lumps. Refrigerate for about a ½ hour. Over medium heat, heat up a 6 inch, non-stick frying pan and add butter to coat.
Using a 1/3 cup measure, add the batter and swirl slowly around the pan so that a thin layer is formed. Allow to cook on first side for about 1 minute and flip over for another minute. They should be golden and soft. Layer up on a plate and keep in warm oven with a cloth over them.
Repeat steps above until batter is finished, re-coating the butter in between to prevent from sticking.
Bonus recipe!
Flambé Banana Filling
Makes about 2 cups
Level: easy
Ingredients
4 oz butter
6 bananas, peeled and sliced
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup rum
Method
Start by melting the butter in a medium sized frying pan on medium high heat. Add the bananas, sugar and cinnamon, and cook until sugar starts to melt. Off the heat, add the rum and allow to cool down for about 5 minutes until a caramel sauce is formed.
Warning! Rum is flammable – please take caution when doing this step and never pour rum from the bottle.
Delish was shot on location at Outer Banks. Perched perfectly above the turquoise sea and teeming reefs below, this exceptional waterfront property is just steps from one of Tortola’s most unspoiled beaches at Brewers Bay. For villa-rental enquiries, please contact Michelle Hodges – [email protected]
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Photography by Rainbow Visions BVI
Kayleigh Driver
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