Mini Bennys

Whether you are having a brunch party, or you just want this cute and delicious treat for yourself, mini Eggs Benedict are the way to go! In 1894, a patron of the Waldorf Astoria New York ordered this concoction as a means to cure his hangover. Little did he know, he also cured the world’s need for a signature brunch dish.

INGREDIENTS
English muffins, unsliced (4 bites per muffin)
Smoked salmon (or canadian bacon)
Quail eggs
Chives, for garnish
Hollandaise Sauce (yields 12 bites)
2 egg yolks
4 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt

PREP THE LAYERS
You will want to have all of the layers ready to go before you make the Hollandaise, so it does not sit out for too long. Using kitchen shears, cut the English muffins into 3 inch rounds (a little bigger than the size of a quarter). You should be able to yield 4 bites per muffin. Lightly brown the muffin bites in a pan over oil or butter, and set to the side.

Carefully crack the quail eggs into a bowl (1 egg per mini benny you want to make), and make sure you do not break any of the yolks. Using the same greased pan as you did for the muffins, slowly pour the eggs in over low heat, using a spoon to spread apart the yolks (but don’t break them)! The idea is to make one large sunny-side up with all of the individual yolks. Cook it exactly as you would a sunny side up egg, and use a spatula to carefully remove and let cool to the side. Using the kitchen shears, cut around each of the yolks, leaving a small amount of egg white. Also use your shears to cut the smoked salmon (or cooked Canadian bacon) into 3-inch pieces, as well as to chop up the chives.

HOLLANDAISE
Once you have everything else ready to go, bring 1/2 cup of water to a simmer. Find a stainless steel bowl with a base that is bigger than the top of the sauce pot. Crack the eggs, keeping only the yolks and discard the whites. Combine the yolks and lemon juice in the stainless steel bowl, and whisk together very well. Place the stainless steel bowl over the simmering water (making sure the base of the bowl is a few inches above the water), and continue whisking as you pour in the melted butter. Keep whisking for a few minutes until the mixture is fluffy and has doubled in size. Remove the bowl from the heat source, and whisk in the salt and paprika.

ASSEMBLE
Spoon approx. 1 tsp of Hollandaise on top of each of the English muffins. Next, layer on the smoked salmon pieces, followed by another tsp of Hollandaise. Top it off with your quail eggs and a garnish of chives.