Eggs Benedict 班尼迪蛋真是世上最難整的早餐之一，Master Chef 入面8個有6個失敗，不是蛋poach得太生便是太熟，又或那個Hollandaise Sauce 分解了，一係就杰到變Mayonnaise。
真正實戰整Hollandaise Sauce 是在上法國廚藝班時，之後自己都試過整一次，但真係太煩，事隔2年，忽然挑起條筋又想整一次。
我用了iberico ham來取代maple ham。而那個hollandaise也是驚險萬分，本來個sauce做好了，天氣涼，我怕淨係蓋住碗面都未能保溫，就一直座在暖水上，本來都仲ok，點知道poach完兩隻蛋，正要用個汁時一看!! Split了!! 好在，用了一個小技巧**還挽救得到，總算過關了！
班尼迪蛋
英式鬆餅1塊 (切半)
雞蛋2隻
火腿 2塊#
# 我用了14個月的 Iberico Ham (不必用太靚的24個月或以上，因為蛋汁也會蓋過味道)
也可用菠菜做成 Eggs Florentine，也可用Smoked Salmon取代，隨你喜歡。但不要用質地太硬或太韌的食材，以免影響吃時的口感。
1. 鬆餅放焗爐或煎鍋烤熱至表面香脆。火腿也用煎鍋烤熱表面。(我用Iberico Ham就可省卻烤熱步驟)
2. 燒熱一大鍋滾水，加1tbsp鹽(有人會用醋，同樣可以凝固蛋白)。一個碗放上筲萁(sieve)，雞蛋打在sieve上隔走比較液體狀的蛋白，做水波蛋時會比較整齊美觀。
3. 水滾放入蛋，用筷子攪動令水形成漩渦，約3分鐘左右撈起。(確實時間很視乎蛋的大小，是否剛從雪櫃拿出來和個人喜好而定，撈起就篤下表面，憑直覺感受一下吧)
4. 先放英式鬆餅在底，加上火腿，再放上水波蛋。最後淋上Hollandaise Sauce在面。
Hollandaise Sauce
白酒醋 30ml
牛肉清湯 30ml
水40ml
原粒黑椒 12粒
蛋黃2隻
牛油清 100g
鹽 小許
紅椒粉 小許
檸檬汁 小許
1. 一湯煲放入白酒醋，牛肉清湯，水及原粒黑椒煲滾，直至水分蒸發變成剩下一半。隔渣備用。*
2. 牛油放入小鍋內煮溶，會有點白色的泡泡或粒粒，將它們隔走。剩下的就是牛油清了。放涼一點備用。
3. 一個煲放入約2吋高的水，煲至微微起泡，找一個耐熱不易破的碗又剛好碗邊能卡在煲邊，底部能座著熱水。好了，來了！將蛋黃放入，加入2茶匙剛才的濃縮醋，用打蛋器不停發至起泡。這時拿出熱水外，將一湯匙牛油清倒入，放回熱水座，繼續發。如是者，拿出熱水外，倒入牛油清，放回熱水座，不停發，直至汁變成杰杰的。最後才加入鹽，紅椒粉和兩滴檸檬汁調味。淋上水波蛋面即成。
* 剩下的濃縮醋可放入乾淨的瓶內再用。
** 剛才說的小技巧是什麼呢？就是萬一發發下的時候發現蛋和牛油分離了，一部份一舊舊，一部份是液體，便立刻找另一隻碗倒入，加一小匙冰水，繼續瘋狂地發，那應該可以還原。
畢竟，我都是將我所知的和自己的經驗寫出來，最後還是實戰最重要，憑自己的感覺煮食，得來的成功是快樂和滿足的！
Eggs Benedict
1 English Muffin (Halved)
2 Eggs
2 Slices of Maple Ham#
# I used 14-mths Iberico Ham instead (It's not necessary to use those super good quality of over 24 mths' as the egg juice is going to cover the taste anyway). Or you can use spinach to replace the ham and become Eggs Florentine, or Smoked Salmon, or anything you like. Just be aware not to use ingredients that are too tough or too hard to bite off as they don't go in harmony with the soft eggs and the crispy English muffin.
1. Toast the muffin in the oven or frying pan until warm and crispy. Toast the ham in the frying pan also. (As I am using the Iberico ham, so I can skip toasting the ham here)
2. Boil a big pot of water, add 1 tbsp salt (some use vinegar that can also solidify the egg whites, but I personally prefer salt). Break the egg on a sieve to drain the liquidy egg white away, so that when doing the poach egg, the presentation will be nicer and no excessive whites clinging to the egg.
3. Use a spoon or chopsticks to stir the boiling water and make a swirl. Place the eggs inside and let cook for around 3 minutes, pick up the eggs with a slotted spoon. (It's hard to say the exact timing, it depends on the size of egg, whether it's directly from the fridge or your personal preference. Just gently poke the egg and use your instinct)
4. On a plate, place english muffin at the bottom, then ham, then poach egg on top. Finally, pour Hollandaise sauce on top to serve.
Hollandaise Sauce
30ml White Wine Vinegar
30ml Beef Stock
40ml Water
12 Peppercorns
2 Egg yolks
100g Clarified Butter
A pinch of Salt
Paprika
2 drops of Lemon Juice
1. Fill a pot with the vinegar, stock, water and peppercorn, reduce to half. Drain and set aside.*
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Spoon away the white substances. The remaining is clarified butter, let cool a bit and set aside.
3. In a pot, fill 2 inches water and let boil. Find a heatproof bowl that could fit inside the pot and that you can pick up the rim of the bowl easily. Reduce the heat to let the water in the pot simmer. Here we go! Place the egg yolks in the bowl, add 2 tsp of the reduced vinegar. Put the bowl inside the pot, whisk vigorously until the egg are becoming bubbly. Take the bowl out of the pot, add 1tbsp of the butter, whisk, back in the pot, whisk. Continue doing the same procedure and adding butter until the sauce is incorporated and become a smooth thick sauce. Add salt, paprika and 2 drops of lemon juice at the end and fold into the sauce.
4. Spoon the sauce on top of the poach eggs and Voilà! Eggs Benedict!
* The remaining vinegar can be kept in a clean bottom and be reused.
** The little trick when you find the sauce staring to split: scrape the sauce to another clean bowl and add a small spoonful of ice water and keep whisking, it should be able to combine and back to how it should be.
After all, real practice makes things perfect, just by reading a recipe wouldn't get you anywhere unless you are really making it. All I can do is to share what I know and what I have been through in here, use your instinct and you will discover the joy in cooking!
