I hope you all had a joyous holiday season! I loved the holidays but at the same time glad to start a new year and get back into my routine. After so many holiday treats and birthday sweets we were due for something more basic like a good breakfast. I recently came across a new product for poaching the perfect eggs at Sur la table. And honestly, since I’m not very good at poaching eggs, I was happy to give these little poaching bags a try. So I had a plan for some Eggs Benedict but I needed something else to round out the meal so I fried up some Colorado Hash Browns which are crisp and pan fried potatoes with some onion, red chile flakes and spices. What a great meal to start off the New Year!
For the hash browns, plan on 1 medium potato per person. Also I included some chopped onion, salt, red chile flakes, garlic powder and black and red spice. Black and red is a combination of black pepper and cayenne red pepper.
I want to fry up some bacon first so that I can use the leftover bacon grease to fry the hash browns. Fry 6 to 8 slices of bacon over medium high heat.
Turn them over to crisp on the other side. Takes about 3 – 4 minutes on each side.
Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and leave any remaining grease in the pan.
Peel and dice the potatoes into a small or medium dice, your choice. I went with a small dice and placed in a microwave safe bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and microwave on 2 minute intervals, stirring the potatoes in between for a total of 6 minutes.
Once the potatoes have finished in the microwave and fork tender, mix together the spice blend. I combined 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes, a pinch of garlic powder and a pinch of black and red seasoning.
Mix together and sprinkle over the hash browns.
Reheat the bacon grease and add additional oil if needed to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the potatoes to the hot skilled and drizzle some olive oil over the top. Let the potatoes cook over medium high heat for 8 – 10 minutes stirring the potatoes every few minutes. The potatoes will begin to crisp in the pan. When the potatoes have become crisp all over, remove to a warming plate.
Add a drizzle of olive oil back to the heated pan and stir in 1/4 cup of chopped onion. Stir the onions and cook 3 – 4 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. Drain with a slotted spoon and blot with a paper towel. Return the potatoes and onions back to the pan and stir together. I placed them on low and kept warm while I poached the eggs.
I used Elise’s method from “Simply Recipes” for blender hollandaise sauce which is so quick and easy to make. First add 3 egg yolks to a blender.
Add a tablespoon of lemon juice.
And 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (only if using unsalted butter, otherwise omit the salt).
Puree the mixture and add a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce. Puree again.
To finish add 10 tablespoons of melted butter to the blender and puree until you have a nice smooth hollandaise sauce.
Okay, here’s the scoop on these new poaching baqs. They are shaped like an egg, (so cute) with a slit at the large end. Fold the top over a small cup so that you can crack an egg into the pouch.
Then fold the flaps back up and using tongs, gently place in a pot of simmering water. Place up to 4 pouches in the simmering water for 4 – 5 minutes. I found 4 minutes was perfect for a cooked egg with a runny yoke. The 5 minute poach left the yolk almost cooked through. When the time is up, lift the bags up with the tongs and gently slide the eggs out of the bag.
They slide out easily intact and easy to place on top of your English muffin.
The finished benedict has a toasted and buttered English muffin with a couple slices of bacon, chopped fresh tomato and a couple slices of avocado. Top with a perfectly poached egg and spoon some hollandaise sauce over top. On the side are your Colorado Hash Browns, crisp and warm straight from the stove.
Eggs Benedict with Colorado Hash Browns
6 – 8 slices Bacon, cut in half
Butter, to lightly butter English Muffins
4 English Muffins, split in two
8 eggs
1 large Roma Tomato, chopped
1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
Hollandaise Sauce
8 Perfect Poach Egg Poaching Bags
Blender Hollandaise Sauce (adapted from “Simply Recipes“)
3 Egg Yolks
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Salt
10 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
2 – 3 Dashes Tabasco Sauce
Green Onion, optional
Colorado Hash Browns
4 Potatoes, peeled and diced small or medium (your choice)
1/4 cup Onion, diced small
1/2 teaspoon Red Chile Flakes
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Dash of Garlic Powder
Dash of Black and Red Seasoning (seasoning is mix of black pepper and cayenne red pepper)
Olive Oil and Reserved Bacon Grease for frying
Fry bacon in a heated skillet over medium high heat 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until bacon is crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel and reserve the bacon grease.
To make Colorado Hash Browns, peel and dice potatoes, place in a microwave safe bowl, drizzle with olive oil and cover. Place in microwave for a total of 6 minutes on high stopping after each 2 minutes to stir the potatoes. Combine the red chile flakes, salt, garlic powder and black and red seasoning. Sprinkle over the microwaved potatoes. Reheat the skillet with the reserved bacon grease and add additional olive oil if needed. You will need enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes to the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook 8 – 10 minutes stirring while the potatoes crisp and brown. Transfer the hash browns to a warming plate. Drizzle olive oil in the skillet and add the diced onions. Cook onions 3 – 4 minutes or until they become soft and translucent. Drain with a slotted spoon and blot oil with a paper towel. Transfer the potatoes and onions back to the skillet and keep warm over low heat.
To make hollandaise sauce, add 3 egg yolks, lemon juice and salt to a blender. Puree until well blended. Add 2 – 3 dashes of Tabasco sauce and puree. Add melted butter and puree until hollandaise sauce becomes smooth.
Poach eggs in poaching bags in simmering water 4 – 5 minutes, depending on how soft or hard you like your yolk. Use tongs to retrieve poaching bags, let drain then slide egg easily from bag. Butter English muffins and place in toaster oven to toast. Top English muffins with bacon slices, chopped tomato, avocado slices, poached egg. Spoon some hollandaise sauce over top and sprinkle with green onion if desired.
Divide Colorado Hash Browns among 4 plates to go alongside Eggs Benedict.
Makes 4 servings, 2 eggs per person.