The American Favorites section is where we have placed recipes for dishes that have become American favorites; these recipes are for foods that are enjoyed by many people throughout this great country of ours. In this particular section, I won't assign a specific part of the country as being the origin of the recipe.
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4 eggs ½-inch thick or 2 English muffins
6 c water 4 tsp soft butter
1 T white vinegar 4 ¼-inch-thick slices cooked ham,
4 three-inch rounds of white bread, cut into rounds 3 inches in diameter
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To poach eggs successfully they must be very fresh or the whites will
come away from their yolks during the poaching process. Pour 6 c of water
into a 10-inch enameled or stainless-steel skillet. Add 1 T of white vinegar
and, over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and,
when the water is barely simmering, gently drop the eggs in one at a time,
carefully turning the whites over the yolks with a wooden spoon. Let the
eggs poach undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the whites are set and
the yolks still fluid. Remove them with a slotted spoon and keep them warm
in a bowl of warm water.Preheat the oven to 250°. Toast the rounds of bread or the split English muffins, spread each half with about a teaspoon of soft butter and top with a slice of hot or cold ham. Arrange them on a heatproof serving platter or individual plates and keep them warm in the oven while you make the Hollandaise sauce.
Blender Hollandaise
¼-pound stick of butter, cut into 1 tsp lemon juice
½-inch pieces ¼ tsp salt
3 egg yolks Pinch of white pepper
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Melt the butter without browning it and keep it warm over very low heat.
Combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the container of an
electric blender. Cover the jar and blend at high speed for about 2 seconds.
Then remove the cover and, still blending at high speed, slowly pour in the
hot butter. For a finer sauce do not pour in the whey (or milky solids) on
the bottom of the pan, although it will not be disastrous if you do. Taste
for seasoning.Working quickly, remove the poached eggs from the bowl of water and drain them on a kitchen towel. Place an egg atop each slice of ham, pour Hollandaise sauce over each of them and serve at once. Serves 2 to 4.
