Happy freaking Monday.
Last week, I had the worst possible computer problems happen to me. The horrible black screen of death had cursed my little netbook. Coincidentally, I had just finished uploading some pictures that I had taken and removed from my Iphone but I hadn't backed up anything. UGH. My jaw hit the floor the morning I was trying to start up my poor computer and I was in shock and completely distraught that I had lost some of my precious photos.
I wanted to cry and mourn the loss of my crappy netbook, and totally kicked myself in the butt for not saving my photos. Thankfully my wonderful husband came to the rescue, and retrieved the harddrive and was able to salvage my photos, my bookmarks to my favorite websites, my Itunes playlists and hooked me up with a spanking brand new laptop. It's fancier and bigger than my dinky netbook. It was a hard lesson to learn but he was already shopping for a new laptop for me once my netbook had taken a dive.
This scrumptious breakfast was inspired by a recent visit to a breakfast trip we took to Seal Beach. Crema Cafe was recommended to us by a friend who said it was her favorite breakfast spot. Thanks Michelle for the tip! Eric had ordered their Chorizo eggs benedict and I had ordered the croque madam, and most times I love what I order. Unfortunately, I took a bite of Eric's dish and realized that I had ordered the wrong thing.
I love eggs benedict and combined with the chorizo - it took the traditional dish to a higher foodie level. A little bit of spice and heat paired with the buttery hollandaise sauce was like bites of spicy heaven, my dish was great as well, but I was slightly jealous that Eric had enjoyed the better meal. I knew that this dish could be easily recreated at home and would be a fantastic way to thank my husband for the million things he does for me. Plus, I was able to use my fantastic new Vollrath non-stick fry pan that I had received from Tundra Restaurant supply to heat up the chorizo. A spicy kick on a classic favorite had made our morning just a little bit brighter and happier.
Chorizo Eggs Benedict
Inspired from Crema Cafe
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
4 eggs
4 English Muffins
1 to 2 pork chorizo sausage, casings removed
Hollandaise sauce, recipe follows
Preparation:
Fill a large skillet with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Add a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Drop each egg carefully into the water and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the whites are firm to your desired liking. Gently scoop each egg with a slotted spoon and drain thoroughly.
Remove the chorizo sausage links from the casings and then brown them in a medium-sized skilled until fully cooked. (My Vollrath non-stick fry pan was perfect for this!) Remove from heat and drain sausage. When sausage is cooking, lightly toast the English muffins.
To serve, place 2 halves of cooked chorizo on each half of the English muffins. Place 1 poached egg on top of the chorizo sausage. Spoon some hollandaise sauce onto each muffin. Garnish with a touch of chipotle pepper on top of the eggs benedict. Serve immediately.
For Hollandaise Sauce:
3 egg yolks
5 to 6 tablespoons melted butter
lemon juice, to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Chipotle pepper, plus extra for garnishment
Whip the egg yolks until they are foamy. Continue whipping while you add, the salt, chipotle pepper and lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler and place over medium heat, and continue to whip by hand until sauce thickens and forms ribbons when the whisk is lifted. Remove sauce from the heat and add the remaining butter and whisk until combined.
Yield: 4 servings
Review: Absolutely fantastic. 1. I have an awesome new laptop with all the bells and whistles. 2. I have an awesome techie husband that I can't thank enough for saving my butt. 3. This dish was so awesome that you should be making it soon. 4. My new Vollrath non stick frying pan is my new favorite pan to use for anything small like sauting the chorizo or frying an egg. Learn from my lesson, always back up your data!
