Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Directions:

Smoked Salmon Benedict:

1 Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Make the Potatoes (Directions below)

2 Make the hollandaise sauce (Directions below)

3 Prepare the poached eggs (Directions below)

4 Assemble the dish - place two pancakes on dish, top with smoked salmon, then an egg - Pour a few tbls of Hollandaise sauce on top. Sprinkle with a pinch of chives and freshly grounded black pepper.

Shredded Potato Pancakes:

1 Set an ovenproof platter on a baking sheet with a cooling rack on top of it into the oven, and turn the oven to 200 degrees

2 Shred the potatoes on the widest side of a box grater. Gather the shredded potatoes in your hands, squeeze out some of their liquid, and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, flour, lemon juice, softened butter, and pinches of salt and pepper and stir to combine. The batter should barely hold together.

3 Heat an 1/8 inch deep layer of clarified butter or oil over medium heat in a large skillet or saute pan for 30 seconds, then add ladlefuls of batter to make pancakes about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Let them cook undisturbed until the bottoms crisp and color, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook on other side. Transfer finished potato pancakes to platter in oven to keep warm.

4 Before serving, sprinkle with pinch of salt and pepper.

Clarified Butter:

1 Cut butter into 1 inch pieces, and in heavy saucepan, melt over low heat. Remove Remove pan from heat and let butter stand 3 minutes.

2 Skim froth and slowly pour butter into measuring cup, leaving milky solids in bottom of pan.

3 Discard milky solids and pour clarified butter into crock or jar. It keeps  covered and refrigerated for one month.

Hollandaise Sauce:

1 Whisk together the water, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt in a small stainless steel bowl that you can comfortably nestle over a small saucepan to create a double boiler and set aside. Bring about 1/2 inch of water to a near-boil over high heat, then turn the heat to medium low. It should be just steaming when you begin to mount the sauce.

2 Add the eggs to the liquid in the bowl, set the bowl over the steaming water, and begin whipping the eggs and liquid together with a whisk. The eggs will slowly go from their raw orange color to the paler yellow of cooked eggs, and will become increasingly viscous; the eggs will be ready after 6 - 7 minutes of consistent beating.

3 Remove the bowl from the saucepan, nestle it into a towel on the kitchen counter to stabilize it, and, whisking firmly all the while, add the lightly warmed clarified butter in a thin, steady stream - the way you add oil when making mayonnaise - and whisk until the sauce is emulsified (NOTE: I did not use all of the butter, put enough until desired consistency). Stir in the tarragon and tabasco and check for salt. Hold the sauce in a relatively warm place and use as soon as possible.

Poached Eggs:

1 Bring at least 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a saucepan or skillet, and the salt and vinegar, and lower the heat so the water barely simmers - you want it hot, the kind of heat where bubbles might cling like condensation to the inside walls of the pan - 180 degrees - not a gentle boil. 

2 Crack the egg into a cup then slide it from the cup to the water. The egg should start to set a few seconds after it hits the water and will be ready in 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, when the white is set and the yolk is still runny. 

3 Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a kitchen towel to drain off any water clinging to them. Use them within the next few minutes.

4 If you are making them in advance, transfer them directly from the hot water to a bowl of ice water. Once cold transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 hours. Reheat them in near boiling water for 15 - 30 seconds , drain on towels and use.