Mother's Day Crab Prosciutto Benedict
breakfast
This is a dish that I first made for Jessica on Mother's Day, 2013. It's a take on classic Eggs Benedict, but instead of using Canadian Bacon I use Prosciutto, and then top the whole thing with crab meat. I had never made poached eggs or Hollandaise before making this meal but we were both really happy with how it turned out. It was served with roasted potatoes on the side. Looks like we may have a new tradition on our hands.
Ingredients
- 2 English muffins
- 4-6oz sliced Prosciutto
- 6-8oz crab meat (I prefer Dungeness but any kind will work)
- 7 eggs
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley (for garnish)
- Butter
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Dash cayenne or hot sauce (optional)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp vinegar (optional - sweet rice wine vinegar is best)
Instructions
Step 1
Heat a covered pot of water until just before it starts to boil. If it boils, reduce heat accordingly.
Step 2
While the water is heating, start making your Hollandaise. Melt 10 tablespoons of butter and keep warm. Add 3 egg yolks, one tablespoon of lemon juice, half a teaspoon of salt half a teaspoon of black pepper, and optionally a dash or cayenne pepper or hot sauce (if you like a little spice), to a blender and blend on medium speed for 20-30 seconds, until the eggs lighten in color. Turn blender down to lowest setting, slowly dribble in the hot melted butter, while continuing to blend. Taste for salt and acidity and add more salt or lemon juice to taste.
Step 3
Transfer it to a container you can use for pouring and set it on a warm – but not hot – place on or near the stovetop. Add vinegar to hot water (Tip: This helps the egg whites stay together and congeal when poaching).
Step 4
Fry the Prosciutto on medium heat with a dash of olive oil for 1 minute on each side, then remove from heat and set on a paper towel to dry.
Step 5
Poach the eggs. Here is an easy method for poaching eggs. Essentially, working one egg at a time you crack an egg into a small bowl and slip it into the barely simmering water. Once it begins to solidify, you can slip in another egg, until you have all four cooking. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let sit for 4 minutes. (Remember which egg went in first, you'll want to take it out first.)
Step 6
When it comes time to remove the eggs, gently lift out with a slotted spoon. Note that the timing is a little variable on the eggs, depending on the size of your pan, how much water, how many eggs, and how runny you like them. You might have to experiment a little with your set-up to figure out what you need to do to get the eggs exactly the way you like them.
Step 7
As soon as all the eggs are in the poaching water, begin toasting your English muffins. If you can’t get all the muffins toasted by the time the eggs are ready, gently remove the eggs from the poaching water and set in a bowl.
Step 8
To assemble the eggs benedict, butter one side of an English muffin. Top with Prosciutto pieces. Put a poached egg on top of the bacon, then pour some hollandaise over. Sprinkle some parsley over it all and serve at once with a side of roasted potatoes. --See Michael's Roasted Potatoes under Sides for this recipe.