David and I frequent a certain local restaurant because of our love for their Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict. Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict is made with a rich crab cake nested on an English muffin, topped with a poached egg with silky, smooth egg whites and a runny yolk smothered in rich, lemony, smooth Hollandaise sauce with skillet potatoes. Decadence at its best!
Last weekend, we decided to try our hand at making our beloved Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict at home, for Sunday brunch. We stopped by Wegmans on our way home from work, to get the crab cakes. They have some of the best crab cakes you will ever eat. Pre-made crab cakes are cheaper than buying all the ingredients and making them at home yourself. So, buying the crab cakes already made was less work for us.
How To Make Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict With Skillet Potatoes
Start with the skillet potatoes:
Peel one average size potato and cut into bite-size pieces. Add them to a small pot; cover with water and bring to a boil, over high heat.
When the pot comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium and gently boil the potatoes, until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Use a fork to test for doneness. Do not overcook.
Drain the potatoes well.
Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. When butter is foaming, add the potatoes and toss to coat with butter.
Brown the potatoes tossing every few minutes to brown all sides of potatoes.
When the potatoes are browned and the outside is slightly crisp, turn off the heat. Cover with foil, to keep warm.
Prepare the Crab Cakes:
While the potatoes are cooking prepare the crab cakes per package instructions or according to the recipe.
Set the cooked crab cakes in a warm place with the potatoes, while preparing the Hollandaise Sauce.
Prepare the Hollandaise Sauce:
Preparing this sauce could totally be done in a blender, but I learned this technique by watching Bobby Flay on television. It’ll give your arm a workout, but it will be worth it and you won’t have as much mess to clean up when brunch is over.
First, pour the egg yolks and lemon juice into a small stainless steel bowl. Whisk the yolks and lemon juice vigorously until the mixture is thickened and has just about doubled in volume.
Note: You will not be able to use any other type of bowl because it needs to be able to withstand heat.
Turn on a burner on the stove to medium-high heat. Continue to whisk rapidly, while placing the bowl on and off the heat.
This is tricky and you have to be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble.
When the eggs are nice and smooth, slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Do not stop whisking until the sauce has once again thickened and doubled in volume.
Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne pepper and season with salt. Cover and place in a warm place until ready to use.
If the sauce gets too thick while sitting, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving. This will help loosen it back up.
Lastly, Prepare the Eggs:
Poaching an egg is a little intimidating, but don’t let it. It is not as scary as it seems.
The first thing you need is almost boiling water in a small saucepan. You want the water hot, but you do not want the bubbles. The bubbles can disturb the egg and cause it to break.
Next, add one or two teaspoons of vinegar to the water. The vinegar helps the egg whites to congeal more easily. Now the eggs, working with one egg at a time, crack an egg into a small cup or small bowl.
Use a spoon to stir the water in circles to create a vortex in the water. Don’t get carried away, if the water is spinning too fast the egg could break. The vortex will help keep the egg together and enclose the white around the yolk better. As water vortex slows, place the cup near the surface of the hot water; gently drop the egg into the water.
Use a spoon to nudge the egg white closer to the yolk, if the vortex is not strong enough to do so. Getting the speed of the vortex takes some practice. Just remember it is better to be too cautious than not cautious enough when dealing with eggs. When the water has calmed a bit gently coax the egg over to one side, then you can drop the second egg in, but this time no vortex. You’ll have to use a spoon to nudge the whites closer to the yolk.
Now, turn off the heat. Cover the eggs and let them sit until the egg whites are cooked for about 4 minutes. When the egg whites are opaque, carefully lift the eggs, one at a time out of the pan with a slotted spoon. Allow them to drain before plating.
Learn more about poaching eggs HERE.
Assemble the Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict:
Place the crab cake on top of an English Muffin, gently place the poached egg on top and then drizzle with Hollandaise sauce. Serve with the skillet potatoes and a side of ketchup.
This wonderful and delightful brunch is too good to eat as delicately as it looks. When your Valentine isn’t looking, manhandle it by topping it with the other half of the English Muffin and shoving it into your mouth. Yeah, it’s messy, but finger-licking good! Your Valentine will probably do the same!
I have to say our homemade crab cakes eggs Benedict, with skillet potatoes were just as good as the restaurant we go to on Sunday mornings. I highly recommend making this brunch, and it is special enough to make for your Valentine this weekend.
Your Valentine will love it almost as much as you!
Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict With Skillet Browned Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 English muffins
- 2 poached eggs (recipe to follow)
- 2 crab cakes prepared (store-bought or freshly made)
- Hollandaise sauce (recipe to follow)
- Skillet potatoes (recipe to follow)
The Skillet Potatoes
- 1 potato (average size) cut into ½-inch bite size pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
The Hollandaise Sauce
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) melted
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 pinch salt to taste
The Poached Eggs
- 2 fresh eggs (it is very important that the eggs are fresh)
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
Instructions
The Skillet Potatoes
- Peel one average size potato and cut into bite-size pieces. Add them to a small pot; cover with water and bring to a boil. Gently boil the potato in water until tender (do not overcook), about 10 to 15 minutes. Use a fork to test for doneness. Drain the potatoes well.
- Melt butter in a small sauté pan. When butter is foaming, add the potatoes and toss to coat with butter. Brown the potatoes tossing every few minutes to brown all sides of potatoes.
- When the potatoes are browned and the outside is slightly crisp, turn off the heat. Cover with foil, to keep warm.
The Hollandaise Sauce
- Pour the egg yolks and lemon juice into a small stainless steel bowl. Whisk the yolks and lemon juice vigorously until the mixture is thickened and has just about doubled in volume.
- Turn on the burner on the stove to medium-high heat. Continue to whisk rapidly while placing the bowl on and off the heat.
- When the eggs are smooth, slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Do not stop whisking until the sauce has once again thickened and doubled in volume.
- Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne pepper and salt. Cover and place in a warm place until ready to use.
The Poached Eggs
- Bring a small saucepan of water to almost boiling over medium-high heat (no bubbles).
- Add one or two teaspoons of vinegar to the water.
- Use a spoon to stir the water in circles to create a vortex in the water.
- Use a spoon to nudge the egg white closer to the yolk. Gently coax the egg over to one side, then you can drop in the second egg. Use a spoon to nudge the egg white closer to the yolk.
- Turn off the heat. Cover the eggs and let them sit until the egg whites are cooked; about 4 minutes.
- When the egg whites are opaque, carefully lift the eggs, one at a time out of the pan with a slotted spoon. Allow them to drain before plating.
Assemble the crab cakes eggs Benedict
- Place the crab cake on top of an English muffin, gently place the poached egg on top and then drizzle with Hollandaise sauce. Serve with the skillet potatoes and a side of ketchup.
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