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Foodie Friday: Brunch Basics – Part 2

Food & Drink >

5039_101375121406_6244512_nIn the realm of egg cookery there are a lot of possibilities. A simple scrambled egg can spiral into an endless combination of temperatures, additions, and techniques that result in or are a party to a tasty meal.

When it comes to brunch there are a couple things that immediately come to mind and both of them are in this weeks recipe. I chose Hollandaise because it is a mother sauce that is absolutely essential to brunch. Whether is is Eggs Benedict or Bearnaise sauce with your steak and prawns, it just belongs at the table. This recipe should be easy to double if desired, although, you may need a bigger boat (bowl & pan). You can add any number of flavorings to your completed sauce to make it your own. I like to add Dijon mustard, coarse ground black pepper, and basil for example. You can also sub out the lemon juice for lime or orange and switch up the type of hot sauce. I also like to serve Hollandaise on the table for guests to add to whatever. Why hold back on brunch? Enjoy!

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Hollandaise

Special equipment:

Whisk
Heat resistant glass bowl (that fits into your sauce pan snugly)
Large sauce pan
Towel or hot pad

Ingredients:

4 extremely fresh egg yolks (I like to use brown or farm fresh eggs) *
1/2 cup clarified butter melted and slightly warm (recipe follows, you can also use coconut butter if you prefer no dairy)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 dash Tabasco
1 teaspoon water
Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

Gently simmer two inches of water in the bottom of a pan. Your glass bowl should fit tightly into the top of the pan without the bottom touching the simmering water. In a heat resistant glass mixing bowl vigorously whisk together egg yolks, water, and 1/2 your lemon juice for about 2 minutes your yolks should now be considerably thicker and almost double in volume. Place your bowl with the egg yolk mixture over your sauce pan and whisk continuously for about a minute, making sure not too let the egg get too hot. Whisk in your butter in six equal portions allowing at least 30 seconds in between each addition. Once all of the butter has been added continue to cook while whisking until the sauce is double in volume and your whisk draws lines through it (if you coat the back of a spoon and run your finger through it should hold the lines form). Hold warm until you are ready to serve. If you fill your serving vessel with boiling water and allow it to sit for a minute then empty the water and dry before adding your Hollandaise, it will hold warm better.

Clarified Butter

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups unsalted butter

In a saucepan over a very low heat melt the butter, do not stir while it is melting. Once the butter melts it should be separated into three layers. The bottom layer is solids and water, the middle is butter fat, and the top is foam. Carefully skim the foam off the surface of the butter with a small ladle or gravy spoon and discard. Try not to dip the ladle into the butterfat while skimming. Pour the butter fat into another container very slowly making sure none of the water at the bottom goes with it. You can also use your ladle to remove the butter fat being sure not to get any of the water while doing it.
Allow your clarified butter to sit for about 5 minutes and skim any milk solids or foam that have risen to the top with a spoon.

* Make sure that you have the best eggs you can find. When looking at the packages try to find ones that are marked: “Organic,” “No antibiotics or hormones used,” “Pastured,” and “Humane Certification.” Eggs from these types of farms are usually a much higher quality, have better nutritional value, and the hens are treated better.

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And keeping with the brunch theme, here are some upcoming brunch events in Seattle, Richmond and San Francisco!

Sunday, April 14 

Brilliant Brunch: Cooking Class by Fire and Earth KitchenShoreline, Washington  Please join Fire and Earth Kitchen for their upcoming class, “Brilliant Brunch” where they’ll be exploring the simplicity of everyone’s favorite, yet rarely homemade meal. Learn some basic vegan, gluten & soy free brunch recipes that will rival any you could eat out. It will be a perfect mix of savory and sweet, crispy and refreshing. No need to go out when you can make an even better tasting & healthy one at home! On the menu: Scones-Two Ways (Savory AND Sweet), Orange & Arugula salad, Super Veggie Vegan Omelette and a Crispy Apple Almond Tart.

Lincoln Legs: Brunch & Brushes with Richmond HistoryRichmond, Virginia  To celebrate the November premiere of Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” much of which was filmed in Richmond and Petersburg, and is partially based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s portrait of Lincoln and his cabinet, “Team of Rivals,” Real Richmond Food Tours is offering a tour that combines brunch at Arcadia with one of Richmond’s most dramatic brushes with history. Guests will walk in Lincoln’s footsteps, from 17th and Dock streets near where he came ashore from the James River and trace his walk, adding Real Richmond Food Tour touches along the way.

Saturday, April 20

Queen’s Brunch with Sylvia O’StayformoreSeattle, Washington  Like a freshly perked cup of coffee first thing in the morning, Queen’s Brunch feels so good. Queen’s Brunch has started up in the hamlet of Columbia City by the crazy mind of Sylvia O’Stayformore. Every third Saturday of the month, Sylvia brings some of her friends in for a perfect perk me up to your weekend schedule. Make sure to add this event to your monthly calendar.

Champagne Brunch and Comedy with Mahatma MosesSan Francisco, California  What’s the best way to start your weekend? Treat yourself to a exquisite champagne brunch at the legendary New Delhi Restaurant, voted “Best Indian Restaurant” by New York Times, serving San Francisco trendy and tasty Indian food for over 25 years. Then sit back, and buckle in for a laugh riot with comedian Samson Koletkar, the world’s only Indian-Jewish standup comedian. He has performed his cerebral, witty, thought-provoking, clean humor in India, Canada & the U.S. and has been featured on NBC, CBS & NPR. Joining him will be his comedian friends; with appearances on TV shows, comedy festivals, clubs & colleges across the globe, these comics are guaranteed to tickle your funny bones.