By Marie Fagan Peart | marie@haldimandpress.com
A poached egg with Hollandaise sauce on an English muffin.
I had a phone call from my youngest grandson, Owen, who is 10, to update me on his latest 4-H club meeting. Owen is participating in the Online Breakfast + Brunch 4-H Cooking Club. He is one of 90 participants from across the province tuning into their laptops on Saturday mornings.
I have mentioned 4-H clubs in the past and it never ceases to amaze me what young children are capable of doing when given an opportunity. In this meeting he was making English muffins (yes, from scratch), Hollandaise sauce, and a poached egg.
Owen said everything turned out pretty good, so I asked for the recipes. He explained there was no recipe for the poached egg. I said I had never made a poached egg so what do I do? In great detail he started to explain, “Get a big pot. Fill it half full of water and put it on the stove to boil. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, but not too much that you can taste it, and use your slotted spoon to stir it around. Crack an egg into a dish. When the water is still spinning, carefully put the egg into the water.”
Owen noted, “If you put the egg in too slowly the white cooks first and will separate. Then you have to fish it out.” He continued, “In the spinning water, cook for three minutes for a runny yolk and four to five minutes for a solid yolk. Use your slotted spoon to carefully lift the egg out.” Just before we finished Owen added, “Oh, for the Hollandaise sauce, you need to use a double boiler, but make sure you use the one with no holes in the bottom so that your sauce doesn’t leak through!” Wise words from a 10-year-old. Enjoy!
English Muffins (makes about 8)
1¼ cups warm water
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
2 Tablespoons melted butter
2¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal, for dusting
1. Pour warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle sugar and then yeast on top. Let sit and foam for 10 minutes.
2. Add in melted butter, flour, and salt, and mix with a rubber spatula. Once combined, place dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding just enough flour to make the dough stop sticking to the countertop.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of cornmeal on a piece of parchment paper or a towel.
5. Once dough is doubled, knead a few times on a floured surface and then divide into 8 to 10 equal pieces.
6. Shape each piece into a ball by rolling it between the palm of your hand and the countertop.
7. Place the balls onto the prepared parchment and press them into flattish rounds.
8. Sprinkle more cornmeal over the tops of the rolls. Cover rolls with a towel and let rise for 20 minutes.
9. Heat a large frying pan or skillet and grease with cooking spray.
10. Cooking the muffins in batches, cover and fry on low heat, on first side for 9 minutes, until the muffins are puffed up and golden and toasted on the outside. Flip and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until the second side is also golden and toasted.
Hollandaise Sauce (about 4 servings)
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1. Combine the egg yolks and lemon juice in a double boiler, whisking vigorously until blended. Cut the butter into small cubes. Add half of the butter to the pan.
2. Place the saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the butter melts and the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat.
4. Add the remaining butter and whisk vigorously until the butter melts and is fully incorporated, creating a smooth, velvety sauce.
5. Stir in the salt and cayenne. Serve immediately.
