Day 36: Hollandaise Sauce ~ Not Bernaise Sauce

A few weeks ago I watched an episode of Top Chef Canada. The contestants were asked to make a hollandaise sauce. At least two of the chefs decided to add thyme to the hollandaise to give it a bit extra. The extra added up to being a bernaise sauce and not the hollandaise sauce (which is a leading sauce) that was required.

We are making a real breakfast and today Chef has us making eggs benedict. This is my favourite breakfast ~ there has been only one time when it was made perfect ~ all others have been okay or not good at all.

Before we get started on eggs benedict, we make a potato bread. Yeast is set to bloom in warm water and a potato is boiled until soft then peeled. The potato is riced with a ricer and added to the dry ingredients of bread flour, rice flour, milk powder, sugar, and salt and optional ingredients of rosemary, thyme, pepper, Thai green chili pepper and cheddar cheese. To the dry I mix in the yeast and water and an egg. I kneaded then leave to proof in a warm spot.

When the dough for the potato bread had proofed, the dough is divided and I formed them in to small bread pans then leave to proof again. Once they doubled in size, they were put in to a 400 F oven. Potato bread is so light and moist because of the extra moisture from the boiled potato. This is one bread I will not have a problem eating a lot of.

For the eggs benedict we make the hollandaise sauce first. It's really easy to make. I have always thought that it was complicated to make. Chef demonstrates the steps for making the hollandaise sauce. The first thing that you do need to do is clarify some butter. I get the task of clarifying butter for half the class to use. To clarify butter you need to heat the butter so that the the liquid and solid in it will separate. The solid is removed by skimming from the top. Clarified butter is also referred to as ghee.

An egg yolk seasoned with salt and white pepper (Chef likes black pepper and this is what we use) is whisk over a bain marie (warm water bath). To the whisked egg yolk, lemon juice and clarified butter is added until a smooth creamy texture is achieved. The hollandaise sauce is covered with saran wrap lying directly on top and set aside to be used later.

We are not using an English muffin (which is traditionally used) for our eggs benedict. Instead we make a potato pancake for the base layer. A raw potato is shredded and seasoned with salt and pepper and a few drops of lemon juice to keep the potato from oxidizing. I added a little bit of minced Thai green chili. The shredded potato is made in to a patty and cooked in oil until cooked on the inside and crisp on the outside. Salt The finished potato pancake is seasoned with salt and set aside. Canadian back bacon is fried in a saute pan being careful to not burn.

In hot salted water (160 F to 180 F) and a tablespoon of vinegar I poached an egg. An egg is carefully dropped in to the hot water being careful not to break the yolk. The poached egg should be soft and should be checked on throughout cooking to make sure that it has not been overcooked. I plated the eggs benedict starting with the base layer of potato pancake, Canadian back bacon, poached egg, and hollandaise sauce.

Class ended today with a visit to a kitchen supply store. I picked up a pan that I can use to make Genoise cake (sponge cake) or cinnamon rolls at home.

Homework this weekend is to study for our test on stocks, sauces and soups.