I have been away from my blog for three weeks. This sadness in the season of eating. It was for good cause, I was traveling and lucky enough to visit Paris and Vancouver. (Bonus travel pics posted below)
This morning was a rare treat, the big breakfast. My specialty big breakfast: Eggs Jefferson Davis, my spin on Eggs Benedict. I erroneously believed that Eggs Benedict were named for Benedict Arnold, that famous revolutionary war traitor. I therefore named my egg dish after Jefferson Davis, considered a hero by the south and a traitor by the North. As a side note, a minuscule amount of research revealed that Delemonico’s restaurant is credited with inventing Eggs Benedict for one of their regular patrons, Mrs. Legrand Benedict.
This breakfast sounds complex, but it’s EASY! Tyler came out and said (as if surprised beyond belief; “Wow, this smells good!”) This of course makes me wonder what he usually thinks.
Start with your biscuit dough. Use your food processor. You’ll have picture perfect dough in seconds. I use my standby Betty Crocker recipe:
2 Cups Flour
3 Tablespoons Baking Powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter or shortening (shortening recomended)
3/4 cup cold milk
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Use the plastic blade fitting on your food processor. Combine the dry ingredients and pulse. Scrape around the edges and pulse again.
Cut shortening or butter into pieces and put into the bowl. Pulse until you have pea sized bits. You may need to scrape the sides once or twice.
Add milk and pulse until the dough comes together.
I don’t actually roll the dough, I pat it out on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thickness and cut using the mouth of a pint glass or you can be bland and use a biscuit cutter.
Bake 12 minutes until done.
While the biscuits are baking; move on to the Sausage Gravy and start warming a deep 12 inch skillet full of water for the eggs:
1 lb sausage (bulk sausage is easier to work with but links are fine just remove the casing)
3 Tablespoons flour
3 Cups cold milk
salt and black pepper to taste
Crumble the sausage and brown it in the pan over medium heat. Cook through but not until dry, remove sausage from the pan. You need about 3 Tablespoons of fat in the pan so adjust as necessary and then sprinkle the flour in. Cook for about three minutes. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Lower the heat. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
Poached Eggs
12 inch skillet with 2 inches water
4 eggs in ramekins at room temperature
First and foremost please take note; there is not a drop of vinegar in the water. My pet peeve about ordering Eggs Benedict in a restaurant is that they put a lot of vinegar in the water and then they don’t drain the eggs before putting them on your muffin so it’s like a soggy vinegar puck. Poaching eggs is easy just remember one thing, you are in charge, not the egg. Do not fear the egg. It’s your kitchen, you are the boss and that egg is going to behave because you said so!
Bring the water to just below boiling. If you need to be sure, water boils at 212 degrees so heat it to 180. You don’t want bubbles, bubbles move your eggs around and break up the whites.
Put the eggs next to the pan and start stirring the water in a counterclockwise motion. Once the water is moving, gently tip the ramekins into the water. If you have to stir again to keep the swirl going do so just be gentle. The swirling will cause the eggs to roll around and the base of the white will wrap around the yolk. Once you master this technique; which will require a couple of “family” practice runs; you’ll be able to poach eggs like a master. Your friends will be impressed, you’ll get a promotion at work, people will open doors for you and your children will behave better.
Cook them for roughly three minutes. Remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon. With a butter knife gently trim the egg whites so you have a nice shape. Use the butter knife to lift the egg off the spoon and drain all the water.
To assemble, cut one biscuit in half, place a poached egg on top of each half, add sausage gravy and sprinkle with paprika.
Enjoy!
As promised, Vacation Pictures:
Christmas Eeyore who joined me at Paris Disneyland
The Castle in Paris Disneyland covered in lights for Christmas
Me in Vancouver in front of the Inuit Sculpture that is the Symbol of the 2010 Olympics
Produce Display at my customer's warehouse. Fresh Direct
Asian Pears
Mangosteens
Sugar Cane
Great photos from your trip and WOW – what a breakfast! Wish someone made ME that this morning!
Am off to Paris in less than 2 weeks and CAN NOT wait!!!
[...] the rest here: Eggs Jefferson Davis (Biscuits, Sausage Gravy and Poached Eggs) By admin | category: eggs benedict | tags: buttermilk-biscuit, calorie, calorie-total, [...]
Love your twist on Eggs Benedict !
Love the post. I used to work with the person that was the first one let into Euro Disney. She was a total character!
I love the photos from your trip.
that breakfast looks amazing, perfect way to start the day