Easy Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict on Toasted Croissant

I got woken up early this morning by the kids wishing me "Happy Mother's Day" while I was still half asleep in bed. They were already up before 7am and couldn't wait to give me their presents and cards. Give it a couple more years and I'd have them well-trained to make me breakfast in bed. For now, Mr TFWL (aka Mr G) is only too happy to make one of our favourite breakfasts - Eggs Benedict. Not just any ordinary Eggs Benedict, but one served on top of a freshly baked croissant. Lucky for us, there is a bakery down the road which sells delicious breads and pastries, including these flaky buttery croissants.

 

It's always such a treat to have Eggs Benedict for breakfast, with the perfectly poached eggs and creamy hollandaise sauce. Traditionally (or usually), they are served on top of an English muffin, or sometimes wood-fired bread. We discovered the most awesome Eggs Benedict at Bondi Beach many years ago (before we had kids), at this place called Lamrock Café. The last time we were there, it wasn't on the menu anymore, and we never came across any cafes in Sydney serving them on croissant either.

We realised making Eggs Benedict wasn't as difficult as we thought. We found a simple recipe for Hollandaise sauce that uses only egg yolks, lemon juice and butter, and it's not much harder than making custard. Try it out, and you'll probably never order Eggs Ben again when dining out. Not only is it cheaper, but it's tastier than some of the ones you get outside. No kidding. Don't forget, the way to making the best Eggs Benedict ever is to serve it on a toasted croissant. That way, you get the sweetness from the croissant, creaminess from the eggs, tang from the hollandaise and saltiness from the smoked salmon. What a perfect combination. Happy Mother's Day!

Easy Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict on Toasted Croissant Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

8 free-range eggs
Vinegar (for poaching eggs)
200g (7oz) smoked salmon
4 good-quality croissants, split in half ("butterflied") lengthways, toasted

Hollandaise sauce (adapted from: Taste.com)
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp water
175g (6oz) salted butter at room temperature, cubed
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and black pepper

Method:

First, prepare the hollandaise sauce. Don't be intimidated by the lengthy instructions!

 

1. Fill a medium saucepan that is quarter-filled with water and bring to boil. Lower heat until it is barely simmering. This is important while making the sauce - if it is too hot, the egg yolks will cook too much and the sauce will curdle.
2. Place the egg yolks and the 2 tablespoons water in a heatproof bowl and place over the pan. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Use a wire balloon whisk (I used a handheld electric whisk) to whisk the mixture constantly for 3 minutes or until it is thick and pale, has doubled in volume and a ribbon trail forms when the whisk is lifted.
3. Add the butter a cube at a time, whisking constantly and adding another cube when the previous one is incorporated completely. (It should take about 10 minutes to add it all.) If butter is added too quickly, it won't mix easily with the egg yolks or the sauce may lose volume. At the same time, it is important that the butter is at room temperature and added a cube at a time, so that it doesn't take too long to be incorporated - if the sauce cooks for too long, it can curdle.
4. The sauce will begin to thin when you start adding the butter. However, once the emulsion is established (after about the third cube), it will begin to thicken again. It will continue to thicken as the remaining butter is added. If the sauce curdles or separates it can be saved as long as it isn't grainy and the eggs haven't set.
5. Remove the bowl from the pan and place on a heatproof surface. The cooked sauce should have the consistency of very lightly whisked thickened cream. Whisk in the lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper. Set aside and prepare the poached eggs next.

Poached Eggs:

Please see here for recipe. In the meantime, prepare the toasted croissants and arrange them cut-side up, on individual serving plates.

To assemble:

Place a few slices of smoked salmon on each croissant. Carefully slide two poached eggs over the salmon. Stir the hollandaise sauce once and spoon some over the eggs. Sprinkle over with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately. Repeat with the other croissants. Enjoy!

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Salted Egg Yolk Crispy Squid

 

I had the pleasure of dining at one of Sydney's most popular Roti Canai establishments on Friday. Mamak specialises in Malaysian cuisine, in particular its famed roti canai, which are freshly made on the spot and served on a silver-coloured platter with two curries. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that it was my "inaugural" visit to Mamak, since almost everyone I know has been there at least once. I didn't set any expectations for this place, and was pleasantly surprised by how authentic (both in flavour and heat from the chillies) the food was. One dish I just had to try was the Sambal Sotong - stir-fried brown cuttlefish in fiery (indeed!) sambal sauce. I grew up enjoying nasi lemak, lontong and roti canai served with sambal sotong and it's one of my favourite Malaysian dishes! Typically, it uses dried brown cuttlefish which is soaked in alkaline water to rehydrate, tenderise and give it a springy texture when cooked.

 

In Malaysia, we use the term "sotong" loosely, regardless of whether they are cuttlefish, squid or calamari. In a different context, namely Singlish, "sotong" can also refer to a person who is "blur like sotong". Anyway, I picked up a book from the library today - Sydney Seafood School Cookbook - and learnt a new word: Cephalopods. It comes from the Greek word, meaning "head-feet", which sums up the appearance of squid, cuttlefish and octopuses. Squids have long cylindrical heads and a thin, translucent feather-shaped internal shell, called a quill. Cuttlefish is similar to squid, but have a broader, thicker head, shorter arms and a thick, calcified internal shell. Octopuses are different in that they have round heads instead of cylindrical, and lack the two longer tentacles, side fins and internal shells that the other two species have. Calamari (flashbacks of Kellie Pickler in her Southern drawl) is just the Italian word for squid, though it also refers to another species of squid.



 

So, I wanted to make these crispy deep-fried squid tossed in salted duck's egg yolk and curry leaves. During my recent trip to Malaysia, I tried these at a local restaurant and it was absolutely heavenly! The smells were so amazing, I could have sworn I was on a high for a while. Back in Sydney, I searched high and low for squid that was just the right size, in order to replicate this at home. Most of the seafood shops sell large squids and octopuses. I finally found frozen ones from the Asian supermarket which were the perfect size! Surprisingly, they turned out tender and crispy after deep-frying. The salted egg yolk sauce, which lightly coats the squid, was fabulously melt-on-your-tongue and leaves a lingering umami taste that is totally addictive. Mmm....craving satisfied. Mission complete.

Salted Egg Yolk Squid

Ingredients

300g squid, cleaned and cut into bite-sized segments
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Marinade:
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Batter (combine in a bowl to form a smooth paste):
2 tbsp self-raising flour
3 tbsp water
1 tsp oil

Flour coating (mix together in a bowl):
4 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp potato starch (or substitute with corn flour)
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp curry powder (optional)
1/4 tsp salt

Sauce:
Yolks from 3 salted duck's eggs*, steamed for 5 minutes and mashed with a fork
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 bird's eye chillies, thinly sliced
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste
1 tbsp milk (optional)

* You can find salted (preserved) duck's eggs from major Asian supermarkets. They are made by soaking ducks' eggs in brine or packing them in damp, salted charcoal. The ones I bought were wrapped in plastic and vacuum packed. See picture below.

Method

Combine squid with marinade and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat up oil for deep-frying. Dip squid pieces in the batter, remove and toss it in the flour coating mixture until evenly coated all over. Deep-fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Set aside.

In a clean wok,  heat up oil and butter, then add garlic, chillies and curry leaves. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the mashed egg yolk and chicken stock powder, and swirl it around the wok with a ladle until it turns foamy. Add milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt, sugar and pepper.

Add the squid and briskly toss in the sauce until evenly coated. Dish out immediately and serve hot with steamed white rice.

 

 

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Kanitama-don (Crab Omelette on Rice)

Kanitama-don is basically a Japanese-style "egg fuyong", comprising an omelette of crab meat served on a bed of rice, and topped with a soy-based gravy. I first tried this dish in a Japanese restaurant a few years ago, and was taken by surprise by what was a huge mound of an omelette sitting in a pool of gravy on a large plate. I suppose I was expecting it to be a little more colourful and artistic in presentation, like typical Japanese cuisine. For a moment there, I thought they got my order wrong! Well, never mind that I was  having "egg fuyung" while my lunch partner enjoyed her steaming hot bowl of ramen. I LOVE eggs, and I do love a good omelette, especially when it comes with gravy, and so I was quite happy and contented with my meal that day and was already thinking of ordering it again next time. Well, except that I didn't see it on the menu anymore after that, and that meant only one thing - I have to make it if I want to eat it.

I'm glad to report that my attempt at replicating this dish was successful, certified by the nods of approval given by Mr G and Miss H, my two "gourmets" at home. This is really just like egg fuyung that you get at Chinese restaurants (or better, perhaps!) covered with a delicious gravy to which I added baby peas and straw mushrooms. The omelette is packed with crab meat (I used tinned crab meat), scallions and bamboo shoots which are absolutely essential for providing the needed textural contrast.  You may also choose to add sliced shiitake mushrooms to the omelette if you like. This is my new go-to recipe for comfort food and will be something I'll be cooking more of especially on busy weekends.

Kanitama-don (Crab Omelette on Rice)

 

Ingredients

 

Omelette:

3 large eggs, well-beaten

1/4 cup crab meat

1/4 cup diced ham

1/4 cup canned bamboo shoots (rinsed with water, drained and julienned)

1/4 cup scallions/spring onions, chopped

1/4 tsp chicken stock powder/granules (optional)

1 tbsp water

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

Pepper

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

 

Sauce:

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sake

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp chicken stock powder/granules

1 tsp potato starch (or cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp water

 

Garnish:

3 tbsp baby peas

A handful of straw mushrooms

 

Method

 

Prepare the sauce first. Combine all ingredients for the sauce (except the potato starch solution) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the straw mushrooms and peas and simmer for 1 minute until mushrooms are cooked. Stir in the potato starch solution and bring to a boil again. Once it's thickened, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and keep warm.

 

Combine ingredients for the omelette in a bowl. Heat vegetable oil in a wok/pan on high heat. Pour in the egg mixture to make a round omelette. Let it cook on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes until the bottom is browned and crispy. Then flip it over and cook the other side for 1 minute.

 

Scoop a bowl of rice onto a serving plate. Carefully slide the omelette from the wok/pan onto the rice. Pour the sauce over and serve immediately.

 

 

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