Tropical Asian Cooking. Wendy Hutton

Чтение книги онлайн.

      Poached eggs on ham and vegetable medley with spicy hollandaise sauce

      3 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee) or vegetable oil

      1 large onion, diced

      8 oz (250 g) picnic ham, diced

      2 cups (300 g) diced mixed vegetables, such as red bell pepper (capsicum), cassava (tapioca), potato, sweet potato, sweet corn kernels, green beans, and carrots

      3 tablespoons finely chopped assorted fresh herbs, such as fresh cilantro (coriander), basil, and parsley

      1/4 teaspoon salt

      Freshly ground black pepper to taste

      8 poached eggs (see Note)

      4 slices French bread, toasted

      Fresh parsley sprigs to garnish

      Hollandaise sauce

      2 egg yolks

      Salt and white pepper to taste

      1 tablespoon lemon juice

      1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

      2/3 cup (125 g) butter

      Sweet chili sambal

      1 tablespoon vegetable oil

      5-6 large red chilies, sliced

      1-2 bird's-eye chilies, sliced

      4 cloves garlic, sliced

      2 medium tomatoes, chopped

      1/4 teaspoon dried shrimp paste

      1/2 teaspoon sugar

      1/4 teaspoon salt

      A touch of sweet chili sambal and creamy hollandaise accentuates this combination of finely diced vegetables, fresh herbs, ham, and poached eggs, in this self-indulgent breakfast. Serve with a slice of French bread and, if possible, a balmy tropical breeze for sharpening the appetite. Serve only those vegetables that you have at hand.

      1 To prepare the hollandaise, place the egg yolks in a bowl and season with salt and pepper (preferably white pepper). Pour the yolks into a processor and blend thoroughly, about 1 minute. Heat the lemon juice and vinegar until it just begins to simmer, then switch the processor on again and slowly pour the hot lemon mixture into the eggs. Melt the butter (in the same pan as you heated the lemon and vinegar) without burning it and, when it begins to foam, switch on the processor once again and pour the butter into the mixture as slowly as you can. Wipe the bowl and process one last time. Set aside.

      2 To prepare the sweet chili sambal, heat oil in a small saucepan and add both lots of chilies and garlic. Stir-fry over low-medium heat until fragrant, 4-5 minutes, then add all other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Process to a smooth paste, then return to saucepan and keep warm.

      3 To finalize the dish, heat clarified butter in a saucepan. Add onion and stir-fry over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add ham and cook for 2 minutes. Add all the vegetables and herbs and season with salt and pepper, stirring to mix well and heat the vegetables through.

      4 Transfer the ham and vegetables to 4 plates. Top each serving with 2 poached eggs, 2-3 tablespoons of the hollandaise sauce and a dollop of sweet sambal. Serve with toasted French bread, and garnish with a sprig of parsley, if desired.

      Note: To make hollandaise by hand, simply pour the hot lemon mixture into the eggs while whisking continuously by hand. Repeat with the melted butter. To save time, you could make the sweet sambal a day or two in advance and refrigerate it until needed, or use purchased sambal. To make poached eggs, use an egg poacher or bring a skillet of water, with a few drops of vinegar added, to simmering point. Carefully crack open the eggs, a few at a time, into the water. Simmer very gently until set, about 2-3 minutes, then remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and repeat with remaining eggs.