Soft Shell Crab Salted Eggs Benedict
Level
difficult
Cooking
30 min
Preparation
30 min
Ingredients
Servings
4
| For the hollandaise | |
Unsalted Butter room temperature | 150 g |
Egg yolks | 3 |
White Wine Vinegar | 1 tsp |
Salted Egg Powder | 1 tbsp |
Lemon Juice to taste | |
Salt | |
White Pepper | |
| For the soft shell crab | |
Cooking Oil | |
Plain Flour or cake flour, sifted | 200 g |
Salt | 1⁄2 tsp |
Salted Egg Powder | 1 tsp |
Egg large, yolk | 1 |
Soft Shell Crabs | 4 |
Soda Water | 315 ml |
| To assemble | |
Eggs room temperature | 4 |
White Wine Vinegar | 1 tbsp |
Sourdough Bread toasted | 2 slices |
Chives chopped | |
Chilli Flakes optional |
How to cook
To make the sauce:
- Cut the butter into cubes.
- Put the egg yolks, a cube of butter, the tarragon vinegar, Knorr Salted Egg Powder and a small pinch of salt in a small bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix the butter into the egg yolks until combined.
- Bain-marie method: Heat some water in a saucepan that the bowl with the yolks fits comfortably over without touching the water until the water is hand-hot (it should be comfortable to dip your fingers into – if you have the water too hot, the sauce will curdle).
- Stand the bowl containing the egg yolk, butter and reduction mixture in the bain marie, and whisk until the egg yolks visibly start to thicken.
- Beat the remaining butter into the yolks, a cube at a time, making sure that the sauce has re-thickened before adding the next cube of butter.
- As more butter is added, the butter can begin to be added more quickly. If the sauce becomes very thick and appears greasy, add a little cool water.
- Once all the butter has been added, remove the bowl of sauce from the bain marie, taste it and adjust the seasoning.
- To achieve a balanced flavour, you may need to add lemon juice, salt and ground white pepper.
- The sauce can be kept for about 30 minutes before serving, by placing the bowl over the warm bain marie, off the heat.
To fry the crabs:
- Once the sauce is made you can fry your crabs; pour the oil into a large, deep cast iron pot and heat until it reaches 175 C – you can use a deep fat fryer if you have one.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir the yolk into the soda water until combined and then pour the mixture over the flour mixture.
- Using a large fork, gently combine the wet and dry ingredients; the batter should remain slightly lumpy and should have the consistency of double cream – don’t overmix.
- Dip 2 crabs into the batter, letting any excess batter drip back into bowl, and carefully place the crabs into the hot oil, top-side down.
- Fry for 1 1/2 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp.
- Drain on paper towels, season with salt and then transfer to a baking sheet, and keep warm in a low oven while you dredge and fry the remaining 2 crabs.
To poach your eggs:
- Fill a deep pan with water, add 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, and bring it to a light simmer over a medium heat.
- Crack one of the eggs into a cup, and using a wooden spoon, make a whirlpool in the pan of water. Quickly and gently pour the egg into the water.
- Cook for 3 – 3 ½ minutes and then carefully remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Place straight into a bowl of ice water and repeat with the other eggs.
- To warm up the eggs, place them back into the simmering water for 1 minute.
To assemble:
- Split the English muffins in half and toast until done to your liking.
- Butter the halves and place a fried soft shell crab on top of each half.
- Top with a poached egg and then spoon some of your hollandaise on top.
- Garnish with some chopped chives and chilli flakes, if needed.
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