TUESDAY EGGS BENEDICT

Firm, ripe tomato slices, thick-sliced, peppered side bacon and perfectly poached eggs nesting on top of crispy toasted English muffins, swathed with a pinkish-hued Sriracha and Lime Hollandaise.  Come to mama!

 
Bennies for dinner.  (Woohooo!)   

Please pass the Sriracha. 

Sriracha, named one of Bon Appetit's 2010 ingredients of the year, is a tangy, slightly sweet, highly addictive Thai hot sauce that is named after the coastal city of Si Racha, in the Chonburi Province of central Thailand, where it was first produced for dishes served at local restaurants. 

Heaps of thanks to all you traveling foodies, exporters, importers and whoever else helped get this hot sauce from the coasts of Thailand to our ever-lovin', heat-craving taste buds.

Sriracha is, without a doubt, one of our favorite ways to 'make hot'.  We put this popular concoction of sun ripened chiles, distilled vinegar, garlic, salt and sugar on macaroni and cheese, chow mein, burgers, hot dogs, soup, ribs, steak, wings, stew, pizza and so many other dishes.  Irresistible, spicy goodness.

Come to think of it Sriracha is so much a part of cooking and eating at our house that it has become a verb.  "Before you pass them around, don't forget to Sriracha those dry garlic ribs."  

But it is eggs that truly beg to be Sriracha-ed with all their beautiful, little golden hearts.  And so it followed that one blustery Tuesday evening in March, my usually mild-mannered inner voice, excitedly squealed, 'Pssst, hey you! Sriracha some Bennies, right here, right now!' 

Now, I had my attention!  So with a wave of a whisk and the turn of a spoon, I slipped one perfectly poached egg gently onto a toasted English muffin stacked with a plump, fresh tomato slice and crispy fried, thick-sliced, peppered side bacon....... then swathed that tantalizing tower with velvety-rich, Sriracha blasted, lime tweeked hollandaise.  Yum-O. 

Makes you want to try your hand at Sriracha-ing, doesn't it?  Well then, 'Psssst!  Sometime soon slip into the kitchen and toast, fry, poach, slice, Sriracha, whisk, eat.  Repeat.
   

TUESDAY EGGS BENNY

3 egg yolks
Juice of 1/2 lime
1-3 teaspoons Sriracha (how spicy do you like it?)
Pinch of sea or Kosher salt and a grind of black pepper
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons vinegar, a pinch of salt
4 slices thick-cut side bacon (I used President's Choice thick-cut, peppered side bacon)
2 English muffins, split
4 nice, thick slices of firm, ripe, fresh tomato
4 eggs

First make the hollandaise by putting the 3 yolks, lime juice, Sriracha, salt and pepper into a bowl over a pot of simmering water.  Whisk until the mixture starts to get a little frothy, then slowly, drizzle in the melted butter while continuing to whisk.  Continue to do this until the butter is used up and the hollandaise has become thickened and velvety soft.  Remove from heat. Set aside.

Meanwhile cut each bacon slice in half and fry in non-stick skillet. Drain on paper towel. 

While bacon is frying toast English muffins and bring a medium pot or skillet, with about 2-3 inches of water to a boil.  Add 2 tablespoons vinegar, a pinch of salt and reduce heat so water is just lightly boiling.  Working quickly, break each egg onto a separate saucer or custard cup and lower gently into the simmering water.  Cook eggs for 3-5 minutes, to desired doneness, remove with slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels.

Now pile, while everything is still warm.......English muffin half, tomato slice, 2 half slices bacon, poached egg, dollop of hollandaise.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.  Ta da!   Eat!