Brioche with Nectarine

Last night, the restaurant where I am currently working full time, Chez Dominique, had a lot of leftover brioche bread. What a pity, so sad to waste such a delicately perfected creation. So of course I had to take some home with me and it wasn't difficult to find some delicious ways to use it straight away for breakfast the next morning. 

Brioche is a french bread and the famous 'cake' referred to when Marie Antoinette declared 'Qu'ils mangent de la brioche' (let them eat cake) about the protests coming from the malnuorished and hungry masses. Because brioche is made with a lot of butter and sometimes eggs, it very easily crumbles and is very delicate, but very delicious. I myself have made several unsuccessful attempts at this bread, but perhaps in my next attempt I'll take tips from our in house baker. (Blog on this coming later)

Since I had some perfectly ripe nectarines, I decided to make a light syrup with them, putting a quarter cup of sugar and an eighth of a cup of water and a pinch of nutmeg to a small sauce pan and let boil. I added the slices of nectarine, skins and all, and let them soften.

Then I simply cut some of the brioche lightly in half. I was so glad about my recent purchase of a Fiskars knife set on sale, 50% off. 5 Pro series Fiskars knives for 25e. Now I finally have the perfect bread knife.

I toasted these lightly in our toaster oven. Using a regular toaster would have been disasterous because it would have squished them and then you would not have been able to get the pieces out. You would be left with brioche crumbs in the bottom of the toaster, burning, and nothing more. You can also use the regular oven's broiler for a few minutes.

Finally, I topped the brioche with the nectarine and syrup and served with some plain turkish yogurt on the side. Perfect breakfast food to share with A before he jets off to work.

Eggs Benedict

This is the favorite breakfast of someone very special to me. And once you've gotten the hang of it, it's not too difficult to whip it up. There is a certain technique to keeping the egg together, but I'll try to describe it as best as I can, and maybe one of these days I'll get around to a video post.

I think two eggs makes a reasonable serving for eggs benedict, and use three yolks to make the hollandaise sauce. The sauce is good for about two, so the poached eggs will be altogether 4 for two servings. If you're going to make the effort you might as well go all out. Heck, if you're having more guests you can easily make more servings, once you've got the set-up just right.

I especially love the Chesapeake version of this with fresh crabmeat and Old Bay on them, but alas it's not so available in Finland, so I'll do without. Next time I poach eggs I'd like to try to Eggs Florentine, but ok, enough eggs for now.

4 eggs

3 egg yolks (whites removed and reserved)

2 tbs white vinegar

a pinch of salt

3 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs butter

white pepper (optional)

Old Bay (optoinal)

parsley flakes (optional)

1.) Start a pot of water to boil, not filling it to the top. Add about 2 tablespoons (tbs) of white vinegar or lemon juice and salt to the water. Turn the boil down to a simmer. You'll want the water boiling ever so slightly, lest the bubbles disturb the lovely shape of the poached eggs.

2.) Start a second pot of water ready for a double boiler. Add the butter to the top bowl and melt over the double boiler.

2.) Separate the yolks of 3 eggs. You can reserve the whites for something else, freeze them. Sometimes I even poach just the whites and use the yolks for the hollandaise, to be ever so slightly more health conscious. But let's face it, one of the best things of a poached egg is the over easy yolk in the center.

3.) Then, crack one egg to start into a small dish, like a rammekin or a souffle cup.

4.) Make a small whirlpool with a slotted spoon in the simmering water. Bring the rammekin as close to the water as possible, and slide the egg into the water gently. The whirlpool effect of the water should keep the egg in a round shape. Allow the egg to simmer approximately 2 minutes. If there is room in the pot, it is possible to poach 2 eggs at one time, but be careful not to break the eggs while they are poaching.

5.) Meanwhile, add the egg yolks to the melted butter on the double boiler. Stir continuously until mixed. Add the lemon juice and seasonings, and continue stirring until the mixture thickens and the mixture becomes more opaque. If you stop stirring at some point, take the bowl off the double boiler to avoid the yolk hardening and making a lumpy hollandaise.

6.) After 2 minutes of poaching the egg, lift out of the water with a slotted spoon and allow as much water as possible to drain off of the egg.

7.) Serve poached eggs on toast or a butter milk biscuit and top with hollandaise sauce. This may also be good with slender asparagus stalks, fresh spinach, or a number of other ingredients.