Poached Eggs with Chive Hollandaise

Poached Eggs
Makes 6 eggs

Poached eggs mystify people and they shouldn’t. Prep ahead (yep you can do this) and reheat in a water bath in a low oven for the perfect ta-da! brunch dish that will make you look like a superstar.

1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
6 eggs 

Bring a pot of water to a boil, season with salt and vinegar. Crack egg and place in a tiny ramekin. Slowly drop the egg into the water, getting the ramekin as close to the water as possible. Cover and allow the egg to boil for 2 minutes. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to dry. Trim excess white and place on a baking sheet.

These can be kept warm in a low heat oven until ready to serve.

If you’re not planning to serve immediately, remove eggs from the pot and place in an ice bath to stop cooking. Eggs can be made the night before, kept in an ice bath in the refrigerator and reheated in a low oven.

Tip: For a smaller pot, don’t attempt more than 2 eggs per batch. This may seem tediously but it’ll prevent the egg whites from wrapping up in each other or breaking the egg.

Chive Hollandaise 
Makes 1 cup

Hollandaise uses the same technique as homemade mayo but with butter, and is the ultimate breakfast sauce. The trick is fresh room temperature eggs.

1 egg yolk, room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), melted and cooled
1 tablespoon chopped chives

In a mental bowl place egg yolk, lemon juice and salt.

Using a whisk and over a double boiler (hint: use the same saucepan you’re doing the poached eggs in before you begin to poach) heat egg yolk for 1 minute until just warmed. Remove and slowly whisk in melted butter, a drop at a time, until an emulsified sauce forms and is thick and creamy. Add chives and season with salt if needed.