Hollandaise Sauce (Italian Eggs benedict)

Oh my gosh!!! Yum yum yum. Having had a productive morning I was craving eggs for brunch. My first thought was scrambled eggs on toast. This then moved onto poached eggs on toast which quickly evolved into eggs Benedict with an Italian theme. I had Italian bread and plum tomatoes and some basil that definitely needed using up. My brain went into overdrive. I thought of making a warm mayonnaise with olive oil but soon decided on an adapted hollandaise sauce using white wine mustard and oodles of lovely butter. Traditionally hollandaise is made with egg yolks, lemon juice and butter. Had I have had lemon juice I would have used that but to be honest the mustard works a treat and I think I actually prefer it!!! It has a tangy and spicy taste.

Before making the sauce I prepared my butter cutting it into several small cubes. I cut way too much butter. I now have a bowl of cubed butter sitting in the fridge. I knew I had to prepare the butter beforehand as I know that making hollandaise can be quite daunting. There are many stories of the sauce splitting or the egg scrambling due to not whisking enough or using the wrong heat. I blocked these stories out of my head and went for it acting all confident. I added a small amount of boiling water to a small pan and had the stove on at a medium heat. A bowl went over the pan. In went the egg yolk and mustard and I began to whisk frantically but calmly. Cubes of butter were added two at a time and when they were nearly incorporated in went another couple of cubes. I knew that only one egg yolk could hold a certain amount of butter but for one person I wasn't too bothered. I added enough butter to create enough sauce to coat my poached egg. To be honest I didn't use as much butter as I thought I would. Had I been making sauce for more than one person I think I would use two egg yolks. The sauce took about 5-7 minutes to make, enough to toast my bread and poach my egg. I layered all my ingredients onto my toast and liberally poured the hollandaise over top.

The hollandaise was smooth, buttery and creamy and just what I needed to feed my craving. It was one of the best I have ever tasted. I even cleaned the bowl out using another piece of bread. I wasn't going to waste any of this golden emulsion.

Italian Eggs Benedict

Italian Bread Toasted

Plum Tomatoes Sliced

Basil Leaf

Poached Egg

Hollandaise Sauce

Layer tomatoes on the toast followed by the basil leave and poached egg. Pour over the hollandaise sauce

Hollandaise Sauce (for one)

1 Egg yolk

1/4 Tsp White Wine Mustard

Cubes of Butter

Salt

Paprika

In a glass bowl whisk the egg yolk and mustard together. Place the bowl over a small pan of just simmering water (I used a medium heat) ensuring the bowl is not touching the water. Whisk in 2 cubes of butter at a time until nearly disappeared then add another two cubes and repeat until the sauce becomes thick and creamy and plentiful. You do really have to eyeball the amount of butter needed. It all goes by feel, look and taste. Season with salt and pour over eggs, vegetables or fish. Sprinkle with a small pinch of paprika.

Chicken Cacciatore

I love this type of dish. Simple flavors that all go into one pot to create a gorgeous rich tasting meal. Originally from Italy this dish can be served alongside rice, pasta, polenta, salad, potatoes and fresh greens. I usually like to serve it with fettuccine drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with parsley and parmesan. Yesterday though, I served it with steamed rice. Many chicken cacciatore recipes call for mushrooms which would be awesome, however Ian is allergic to these friendly fungi so we have to steer clear.

I decided to make this dish as I was having such a lazy day that I didn't want to be in the kitchen for ages. Ian was at work and I was happy revising for a potential new job. (Yes revising... how sad is that?). I really didn't want to break the momentum but I managed to pull myself away from my books and took a small break. When I say small it was less than 10 minutes, I began to color the chicken and chop the garlic and herbs. Once the chicken was browned I dumped everything into the pan with a can of chopped tomatoes and a few olives and allowed it to simmer and reduce. That's how simple it was. I then went back to my ventilation revision. After 30 minutes of simmering I removed the chicken pieces (drumsticks) and then continued to reduce the sauce on the stove until it was thick and ruby red. (The reason I removed the drumsticks were that they were so tender they were falling of the bone and I was worried that any further simmering may have caused the chicken to disintegrate). This reduction took a further 20 mins. Once reduced the chicken pieces were placed back into the pan and warmed through.

It was a great dinner. I think next time though I would use a combination of chicken breasts on the bone  and drumsticks. The reason for this is that I love drumsticks and Ian loves the breast!!! (Take that as you will!!).

Chicken Cacciatore (serves 4)
8-10 Chicken drumsticks
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 sprig rosemary chopped
Olive oil
10 Sage leaves thinly sliced
1 Cup of chicken stock or white wine)
Splash of white wine vinegar if not using wine
8 Black Olives
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes
Large pinch Dried Red Chilli Flakes

Start by browning the chicken in the olive oil in a deep pan/ dutch oven/ casserole dish over a medium high heat. Once browned add the garlic, sage and rosemary and soften. Add the stock, vinegar or wine and stir lifting off any brown pieces from the bottom off the pan. Then add the tomato paste , diced tomatoes, chilli flakes and olives. Mix to combine. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for approx 20-30 minutes until the sauce is reduced. I you feel the chicken is cooked through but the sauce needs to be thicker remove the chicken and continue to reduce the sauce. Once you have the desired thickness for the sauce add the chicken pieces back into the pan and warm through. Season with salt and pepper if required. I found that the olives added enough salty flavor and the red chilli flakes gave it the kick it needed. Once ready serve alongside your chosen side.