Eggs Benny: Dirty South Style with Jalapeño Hollandaise
Eggs Benny with a southern spin. A crazy delicious dish for a special occasion brunch. It’s a lot of steps, but the grit cakes can be prepped up to a day before, it’s easy, and the finished product is so worth it.
Instructions
  1. Make grit cakes:
  2. Bring the 3 cups of water and 1/2 tsp sea salt to a boil.
  3. Add the grits, stir and bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until very thick, about 15 minutes or so, stirring often.
  4. When fully thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the butter, the cheese and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
  5. Pour grits mixture in an even layer into a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.
  6. When you’re ready to make the grits cakes, use a round 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out as many rounds as you can from the grits.
  7. Mix together 1/4 cup cornmeal and 1/4 cup flour, and dredge each grits round in the mixture.
  8. Heat a few Tbsp of coconut oil in a large frying pan, and then fry each grits round for a few minutes on each side, until golden.
  9. Drain grits cakes on paper towels and keep warm in toaster oven until ready to use.
  10. When ready to poach the eggs, put two cakes on each plate.
  11. Cook the bacon:
  12. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until golden, a few minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Split each slice in half and place two halves on top of each grits cake.
  13. Poach the eggs:
  14. Fill a medium or large skillet about halfway with water, mix in 2 tsp of white vinegar and 1 tsp sea salt and bring to a simmer. Crack an egg into a small ramekin, and holding the ramekin right over the simmering water, gently slide the egg into the pan. Cook the egg for two minutes or so, using a slotted spoon to gently keep the egg white as close to the yolk as possible, then when the white looks opaque, use the spoon to very gently turn the egg over in the water. Cook for another couple minutes or until white appears to be cooked through. Place poached egg on top of grits cake and bacon. Repeat poaching process with the rest of the eggs.
  15. Make hollandaise:
  16. Put egg yolks, lemon juice and salt in a blender and blend until incorporated, a few seconds.
  17. Remove the feed tube on the blender lid and slowly pour in the melted butter with the blender running. The sauce will immediately thicken and turn light yellow.
  18. Add jalapeños, cover and blend until all mixed.
  19. Drizzle the finished sauce over the top of each poached egg.