Two Brunch Ideas - Classic vs. Extreme

CLASSIC

As Fillmore (voiced by George Carlin) said in the 2006 Pixar movie, Cars, "Respect the classics!" Well this classic Eggs Benedict has certainly earned its respect and really needs no upgrades or changes.

I started with the fried potatoes because they take the longest. I sliced my small red potatoes and then heated two tablespoons of extra virgin oil to fry them. I seasoned with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika and allowed to cook for several minutes. I then diced half of a small onion and added to the skillet with a teaspoon of fresh chopped rosemary. Once the potatoes were cooked, I removed them to a metal bowl to keep warm while I poached the eggs.

Poaching eggs is not as difficult as it looks or sounds. The water needs to be very hot but not boiling, 190 degrees and I verify with an instant read thermometer. To help form the eggs, the water needs a tablespoon of vinegar (white or white wine vinegar). I always crack each egg into a small bowl or ramekin and I carefully lower the bowl into the water to gently release the egg. I do not swirl the water. or touch the eggs and I set a timer for four and a half minutes. Once done, I remove them with a slotted spoon to a clean towel and trim the edges if necessary. The eggs need to be served almost immediately.

While the eggs poached, I briefly fried the Canadian bacon for two minutes per side in the same skillet that I used for the potatoes.

To assemble, I laid out a toasted English muffin that I brushed with a bit of melted butter...

...Canadian bacon...

...poached eggs...

...and finally the hollandaise sauce which I made by combining two room-temperature egg yolks and the juice of half a lemon in a blender, seasoning with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Then with the blender on low, I slowly drizzled in six tablespoons of hot melted butter until the sauce emulsified. (I actually melted seven tablespoons because I needed a bit extra to brush the English muffins.) I added the potatoes to the plates and garnished with fresh parsley, chives, and a pinch of cayenne.

EXTREME

Why stop at good when you can be great? Why stop at great when you can be extreme? That was the motto that I followed when I made these unbelievable Fried Green Tomato BLT Extremes!

So what makes them extreme? A typical BLT has bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on toasted white bread. Mine has bacon, lettuce, tomato, chipotle lime mayonnaise, melted cheddar cheese, runny egg, and a crispy fried green tomato.

I started by cooking the bacon until crispy.

While the bacon cooked, I cut an unripened green tomato into three thick slices, sprinkled with salt, and set on a wire rack over a sheet pan. (The salt helps to pull out some of the water so that they stay firm and crispy when fried.)

I used a traditional breading station - from left to right - flour seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, two beaten eggs with a splash of water, and Panko bread crumbs seasoned with smoked paprika.

Time to dredge!

I fried in neutral oil heated to 360 degrees until golden and crispy, which only took several minutes. I removed them back to the wire rack and immediately seasoned with salt while I assembled the sandwiches.

On the same griddle where I cooked the bacon, I grilled the bread in some butter, but I did not fully wipe clean the bacon grease so that it would add more flavor.

The first layer is the cheddar cheese and I started this step on the griddle to slightly melt the cheese.

Next up is a slathering of chipotle mayonnaise which I made by combining one third cup of mayonnaise with two teaspoons of chipotle pepper, a few dashes of hot sauce, and the juice of half a lime.

Butter lettuce.

Three pieces of crispy bacon per sandwich.

Crispy fried green tomato.

Another slathering of the chipotle mayonnaise.

And finally, a runny egg with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Even the sandwich itself is drooling!

So which would you choose?

Classic?

Extreme?

Both?

Yes.