I had the idea of making eggs benedict with a large mushroom instead of the muffin. Then I decided to make it into a larger meal and this is what happened. It’s pretty easy and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
Poached egg & mushroom on tomato & pepper couscous with hollandaise sauce (serves 2)
Ingredients
- 1/4 pint volume of couscous
- 1/2 pint boiling water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Small handful of basil leaves
- 1/2 ramiro pepper
- Handful sundried tomatoes
- Two large portobello mushrooms
- 4 rashers of streaky bacon
- 4 eggs (2 for sauce, 2 for poaching)
- 80g salted butter
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar (any white vinegar should do though)
- Small amount of fresh chives
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to gas mark 6 / 200C / 400F
- Add boiling water to couscous. Chop and add the basil and lemon juice. Cover.
- Cut ramiro pepper in half lengthways and deseed.
- Put mushrooms and pepper on baking tray and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add bacon to baking tray and cook for a further 10-15 minutes (depending on how crispy you like your bacon).
- Meanwhile, add remaining lemon juice and vinegar to a saucepan and simmer.
- Separate two of the eggs. Put the yolks into a bowl and save the whites for something else, like meringue.
- Whisk the eggs, and slowly drizzle in the hot lemon juice and vinegar while whisking vigorously.
- Melt the butter in the saucepan you just emptied. Don’t worry about cleaning it.
- Meanwhile, take the pepper out of the oven and coarsely slice it and the tomatoes and add to couscous.
- Start warming plates and put a pan of water on to boil.
- Gradually pour the melted butter into the egg mix again whisking vigorously. Leave in a warm place.
- Add a splash of any type of vinegar to the pan of boiling water. Turn down to simmer. Stir in a circular motion, then when almost still, break an egg into the middle.
- Spoon half the couscous mix onto each plate. Get the tray out of the oven and add a mushroom to each plate.
- By this time your first egg should be ready. Remove from pan, drain and place on top of a mushroom. Cook the second egg.
- Pour half the sauce (will be runnier than normal hollandaise) over the egg. Place the bacon on top and sprinkle with chives.
- When the second egg is cooked, repeat.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Eat and enjoy!