The best Eggs Benedict

• Serves 4

• Preparation time:

• Cooking time:

Ingredients

good knob of butter
1 tbsp demerara sugar
200g smoked ham hock, torn, or thickly sliced ham
good pinch of cayenne pepper
4 whole eggs
2 slices toasted sourdough
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the hollandaise sauce:
100g butter
2 egg yolks
1 tsp lemon juice plus extra if needed
½ tsp English mustard

Method

Melt the butter in a small pan. In a bowl set over pan of simmering water, or in a food processor, mix the egg yolks, lemon juice and mustard. Gradually spoon in tiny drops of the warm melted butter (leave the white solids behind in the pan), whisking (or pulsing if using a food processor) all the time. Season and loosen the mixture with a little more lemon juice if needed. Keep warm.

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the sugar and allow to dissolve. Add the ham, sprinkle over the cayenne and fry for 4 minutes or until glazed, turning every now and then.

Put enough water to come up to 5cm into a large pan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat down to a shudder. In turn, crack each egg into a teacup and carefully slide it into the water, on separate sides of the pan. Cook for 3 minutes until the white has set. Remove using a slotted spoon and briefly drain on kitchen paper.

Top the toasts with the glazed ham, poached eggs and then spoon the warm hollandaise over the top. Finish with some cracked black pepper and the pumpkin seeds.

This is an edited extract from Posh Eggs by published by Quadrille RRP $29.99 and is available in stores nationally.

Notes