Brunch! – Oven Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, and Poached Eggs w/ Hollandaise

Today was an experiment on technique.

I will never again complain that brunch costs too much. the sheer number of different cooking methods it took just to plate this one meal was ridiculous.

Oven Roasted Potatoes:

took the longest. prepare first!

1. preheat oven to 425F
2. scrub 2 medium yukon gold potatoes clean. keep skins. (i like the extra crisp texture it provides)
3. dice into medium small cubes.
4. dump into ziplock
5. pour in 1 or 2 tbs olive oil
6. dump in about 2 tsp herbs de provence + garlic salt to taste.
7. line baking pan with aluminum foil and using a paper towel, spread around olive oil on the bottom of the pan. dump in potatoes and spread evenly.
8. bake in oven for 20-30 min. until slightly golden brown
9. because i’m anal, i removed the pan and turned all the potatoes skin side up.
10. crank up heat to 475F and finish off, 5 min more, until crisp on the outside.

Asparagus:

you can prepare this any way you like. i normally blanch my veggies but i wanted different textures and blanching was just too similar to poaching. my intended approach was to grill them. buuuut i have no grill. so my compromise was to blanch, then broil in the toaster oven before serving.

1. shave off outer skin w a potato peeler. cut tough ends off (i roll the asparagus back and forth while gently pressing the knife higher and higher up from the stem until it cuts cleanly through.)
2. wash.
3. boil water in wide mouth pan.
4. blanch asparagus ~ 2-3 min.
5. remove and immerse immediately in ice water bath.
6. broil on 400F in a toaster oven for ~10 min. (honestly i dont remember how long i broiled it for. just wait for a nice browning to develop)

Poached Eggs:

thank you again, thomas keller. the swirl/vinegar technique works beautifully. god knows how i’ve been managing poached eggs in the past, but this was the first time i’ve ever achieved the perfect amount of runny yolk in the center. for better control, i like to do these one at a time:

1. crack egg into little ramekins.
2. boil enough water in pot to completely submerge egg.
3. turn off heat.
4. pour in 1 tsp- 1tbs rice vinegar (or white vinegar. whatever you have on hand.). amount varies depending on how much water you have in the pot.
5. dip ramekin into water and slide the egg out.
6. cover pot and keep on stove for 4 minutes.
7. gently prod yolk center. it shouldn’t be obviously liquidy. should feel rather solid. if not, turn heat up a tad, lower than a simmer. (no bubbles!)
8. remove egg carefully with a slotted spoon and into ice bath to stop cooking
9. right before serving, immerse egg back into simmering water for 1 min to reheat.

Hollandaise Sauce:

in quite a pickle with this one. i have no small metal mixing bowls. or a blender. so i compromised with my magic bullet.

1. in magic bullet, pulse 2 egg yolks and 1.5 tsp lemon juice until frothy.
2. melt 1/4 cup butter in a small ramekin in the microwave until bubbling hot. (note: be picky on what butter you use because the flavor of the hollandaise will largely be determined by it. i used kerrygold pure irish butter and i found it to be a bit too cheesy..)
3. add a tbs or two of hot butter into magic bullet, reassemble, and pulse until well incorporated.
4. repeat, adding a tbs or two of hot butter each time.
5. when all the butter is in, add a pinch or two of salt. blend one last time.
6. if consistency is too thick, add a few tsp of warm water.
7. spoon over reheated poached eggs and asparagus spears.
8. top with a dash of paprika. (i didn’t have cayenne pepper and wanted the red -_-)