To start, you'll need the following:
English Muffins, I like Sour Dough toasted and buttered.
2 farm fresh eggs for poaching
smoked salmon, (Zach smokes his own in the smoker, yum!) or Canadian bacon or ham
1 recipe for Hollandaise (below)
For the Hollandaise, this recipe is inspired by Ina Garten from the Food Network. It's an easy blender based sauce which takes out the need for a double boiler. However, if you're weary about eating under-cooked egg yolks, honestly I'm not sure how much the melted butter actually cooks the yolks, so keep that in mind.
1/2 stick butter
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice (you can also use white wine vinegar)
1/2 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper, a dash of Tabasco, or some smoked Paprika
In a small pot on low, melt butter. While that's melting, blend the remaining ingredients in a blender. Once combined, slowly add the butter and blend until well incorporated. Viola' your done, instant, easy Hollandaise.
For the poached eggs, in a medium pot, (a short, wide one works well because it gives you room to swish around) add about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Crack your eggs and gently lay them in the water. They will swirl and float around. If they sink to the bottom, leave them be until the whites start to become opaque, then gently lift them to float with a spoon. As the eggs float, ladle the hot water over the yolks to cook, they will become opaque as well. You can skim the "foam" as it collects around the top of the water. Cook until the whites are fairly firm and remove with a slotted spoon. You can dry the eggs on a paper towel or a bread crust before placing on the toasted, buttered English Muffin.
