Eggs Benedict

I bet you never knew that I was a chicken farmer.🐓 For a brief period of my childhood - my family raised chickens.  And my role in our family chicken endeavor was to collect the eggs. 🥚  You're probably picturing a Little House on the Prairie scenario but that isn't quite how it went down.  First of all, our house was just outside the suburbs of Cleveland... smack dab in the middle of a subdivision.  Secondly, our suburban chickens were great little egg producers but they were also a little mischievous.  I'm told that the name for the variety that we owned was "jungle foul" and I'd say that accurately described their demeanor.😅  These free spirited chickens had an unquenchable desire to explore the neighborhood - and they did just that.  Despite my dad's best efforts to keep their wings clipped, these determined birds managed to escape their coup on a regular basis. 

When the coup was empty, my brother and I would gather up all of our friends from the neighborhood and traverse the subdivision - missing persons style - in an attempt to round up all of the AWOL chickens.  It was not uncommon for the residents of our subdivision to see a flock of chickens running down the street, followed closely by a group of screaming kids determined to catch them.🏃🏽‍♀️ My parents fielded a fair number of calls from neighbors that summer to let them know that they had found chicken eggs in their yard, flower beds and mailboxes. 😬  And now you have a better understanding of my role as egg collector.  😅

Our chicken farming lasted for only a short time but during that season - we had plenty of fresh eggs and we were in the best shape of our lives. 😂  Because of that experience, I have a whole new level of respect for my Georgia friends who raise egg producing chickens in their suburban yards.  I've never even seen them chasing a chicken past my house or found a random chicken egg in my garden. 😂   

Raising chickens in a suburban Cleveland neighborhood in 1978 was not common practice.  But raising backyard chickens in 2022 - very hip and trendy.  And I'm not mad about it either because my chicken farming friends are always willing to share their fresh eggs  - and I don't have to run all over the neighborhood to collect them. 😅  Fresh chicken eggs deserve to be served in the best way - like on a homemade english muffin and topped with hollandaise sauce.  

Eggs Benedict
2 quarts water
2 Tablespoons vinegar
​12 eggs

Hollandaise Sauce
8 Tablespoons butter
​3 egg yolks 
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
​1 teaspoon salt

6 English muffins
fresh chives, chopped

Toppings
smoked salmon
Canadian bacon
prosciutto
bacon, cooked
​asparagus

Simmer water in a large pot with vinegar and bring to a gentle boil.​

Crack each egg into a ramekin.

Gently swirl water with a wooden spoon and gently pour egg into the center.  

Poach 2-3 minutes.   Use a spider to transfer eggs to transfer egg to an ice bath.  

Submerge cooled poached eggs in a container with water and refrigerate up to 5 days.  

Melt butter in microwave, for Hollandaise sauce. 

Process egg yolks, dijon and lemon juice in blender for 30 seconds.

Drizzle in hot, melted butter, while blender is running. 

Split english muffins and arrange halves on a baking sheet.  Brush with olive oil.

Toast muffins 5-10 minutes at 450.

Fill a large bowl with hot tap water and carefully add poached eggs to warm for 2 minutes. 

Place any desired toppings on an english muffin half.

Press each half into an 8" disk onto a silpat lined baking sheet. ​

Spoon hollandaise sauce over egg and sprinkle with fresh chives. 

Ciao!

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