Eggs Royale Recipe
Smoked Salmon, Hollandaise Sauce and poached Eggs, served with Sour Dough Toast.
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Ingredients
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For the eggs and toast
For the smoked salmon base
For the hollandaise sauce
Garnish (optional)
Method
For the eggs and toast
Toast the sourdough
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spread 1 tablespoon softened butter on both sides of the sourdough slices. Toast the slices in the skillet 2–3 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Keep warm in a low oven (90–100°C / 200–210°F) while you prepare the rest.
Poach the eggs
Fill a wide shallow saucepan with 6–8 cm of water. Bring to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil). Stir in 1 tablespoon white vinegar and a pinch of the 1 tsp sea salt. Crack each egg into a small cup. Create a gentle vortex in the water with a spoon and slip 1–2 eggs (depending on pan size) from the cup into the center. Poach for 3 minutes for a runny yolk or 3½–4 minutes for slightly firmer. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and keep warm on a plate in the low oven. Repeat with remaining eggs.
Season the poached eggs lightly with freshly ground black pepper to taste just before assembling.
For the smoked salmon base
Mix the 1 tablespoon softened butter, 1 tablespoon chopped dill and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a small bowl. Spread a thin layer of this butter-dill mixture on each warm sourdough toast slice. Arrange the smoked salmon slices evenly on top of each piece of toast (about 50 g per slice).
For the hollandaise sauce
Prepare a double boiler
Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and place a heatproof bowl over it (bottom of the bowl should not touch the water).
Whisk egg yolks
Put 3 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon cold water and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice in the bowl. Whisk constantly for 1–2 minutes until mixture is slightly thickened and pale.
Add butter slowly
Very slowly (a few drops at a time at first), drizzle in the 150 g melted or clarified butter while whisking continuously. As the sauce emulsifies and thickens, you can increase to a thin stream. Keep the heat low to avoid scrambling. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and coats the back of a spoon (about 3–5 minutes total).
Season hollandaise
Remove the bowl from the heat. Taste and season with fine sea salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste (usually a small pinch). If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water or lemon juice to reach desired consistency. Keep warm until serving (cover and place over the warm—not hot—water or in a warm spot).
If the sauce begins to split, whisk in 1 teaspoon cold water vigorously to re-emulsify, then continue adding tiny dribbles of butter if needed.
Assembly and serving
Place a slice of toasted sourdough with smoked salmon on each plate. Using a slotted spoon, place one poached egg on top of the salmon on each toast.
Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of warm hollandaise sauce over each poached egg, letting a little run onto the salmon and toast.
Garnish with a small sprig of dill and a twist of freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.