Food on Film : Eggs Benedict from Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere
***Rachel Khoo would like to thank all the inspiring people who helped make the Khoollect studio a hive of creativity. Although the Khoollect studio’s doors have now closed, you can keep up with Rachel’s newest adventures on RachelKhoo.com and on Rachel’s Instagram and Facebook pages – and, continue to enjoy the Khoollect website’s stories and recipes, which will remain available.***
Standing in her tiny hotel suite kitchenette, Elle Fanning’s character in Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere has three pans on the go.
In one she’s perfectly poaching eggs, in the other she’s heating up thick slices of ham and in the last one sits silken hollandaise ready to ladle over the lot. She’s making the type of meal every child wants a chance to make for their parents at least once before they grow up. She gets up early while her Dad is still sleeping and starts this process of making the ultimate lazy day breakfast to impress – Eggs Benedict.
It’s the kind of recipe that takes a few mastered skills to get just right, it’s what makes it the best recipe for a little bit of showing off.
Start with a perfectly golden toasted muffin, soft poached eggs, and a hollandaise that doesn’t split and you’re golden. Thankfully there is one easy bit to get right, get your ham hand cut at a good deli and all you’ll have to do is get it warmed up. A good baked ham is best, you want robust slices so once it’s delicately assembled it’s a showstopper.
When she serves it to her Dad in their sunlit suite he exclaims ‘you got the sauce just right!’ to her beaming smile. It’s an achievement and a recipe that everyone should have up their sleeve for impressing those we love most.
Start with the hollandaise. Melt the butter in a little pot with a sprinkle of salt. Whisk the egg yolks and the lemon juice together in a heatproof bowl set over hot water. As you feel eggs start to thicken slowly drizzle in the melted butter and whisk.
Have a few cubes of ice near incase you feel it’s about to split, throw one in and it should settle with some stirring. Once all the butter is absorbed and it’s thick and golden – take it off the heat. Add the vinegar and maybe some more lemon juice to get it to the perfect silky consistency then add the nutmeg and season to taste.
Slice the top off each of the muffins, you want them to be substantial enough to support everything else. Heat up the ham in a pan till warmed through. Boil lightly salted water and crack each egg into a tea cup. Take the water off the heat and lower the egg in the water. Poach the eggs until the whites of it are set but the yolk still soft.
Drain off excess water and start layering the warm ham, poached eggs and a generous spoonful of hollandaise on top of the muffins. Scatter hot pink peppercorns and finely chopped parsley to give it a finish that won’t be forgotten.
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