Last week, my friend Bill and I were discussing different ways to make eggs. When it comes to eggs, it seems like the possibilities are endless. There are at least a dozen types of egg dishes that I can think of off the top of my head and countless ways to make each dish. You can add almost anything in your fridge to a frittata or omelette. When you think about it, eggs are one of the most personalized foods – everyone has their perfect egg dish. Well, I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of all types of eggs, but on the weekends, my favorite treat is an Eggs Benedict. Egg sauce over eggs. How can you go wrong?

When we were in New Orleans, I experienced a type of Eggs Benedict that I’d never had before at the restaurant Stanley. The Breaux Bridge Benedict, which consists of Charlie T’s Boudin, Smoked Ham, American Cheese, Poached Eggs, and Creole Hollandaise. It was a nice change from the usual Canadian bacon and English muffin or Florentine Benedict. Inspired by Bill and New Orleans, I decided to put my own twist on the dish: Spanish-Style Eggs Benedict. I swapped out the English muffin for fried red potatoes, used Spanish meats instead of Canadian bacon and added a peppery, garlic Hollandaise. Not only is it spicy and delicious, but it’s also gluten-free.

Because Spanish meats are a little expensive, I’ve given you two different options: super expensive Jamón Serrano ham (like a Prosciutto but even better) for a special occasion and Chorizo sausage for a more wallet-friendly option.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large red potatoes, sliced into half-inch rounds

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 pound Jamón Serrano ham or 2 Chorizo sausages

1 cup arugula

4 eggs

1 pinch kosher salt

1 cup Kicked Up Hollandaise sauce

1/4 cup grated Manchego cheese

Freshly-ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Slice the sausage and saute for 3 minutes until starting to brown. Drain both the potatoes and the sausage on a paper-towel lined plate.

Poach your eggs. I used an egg poacher because it’s easier, but if you’re feeling fancy, you can poach the eggs the old-fashioned way. They’re much prettier when you do them right.

Warm up your Hollandaise sauce. I implore you – unless you have five hands or are making Hollandaise from a packet, do not try to make Hollandaise from scratch at the same time that you poach eggs and fry potatoes. I tried to do everything at once. I would not recommend it. My sanity is still in tact, but just barely. Please make it beforehand.

Next, build your Benedict. Start with two potatoes, add 1/4 cup arugula. Add either 2 slices ham or 4 slices of sausage.

Top with one poached egg. Pour 1/4 cup Hollandaise over the eggs. Finish off with a sprinkle of Manchego cheese, freshly-ground black pepper and some more arugula for garnish. You can garnish with more peppers as well if you like it very spicy.

Healthy Recipe Ecstasy? Let’s just be clear, there will never be anything healthy about Hollandaise sauce. It’s made completely of egg yolks and butter. BUT I did cut down on the butter a bit. 🙂 If you’re going to indulge, I find it’s better to indulge at home because you can control the amount of oil and butter and the portion size.  The best part about this recipe is that I bought most of the ingredients at the local farmer’s market. Because all the ingredients are so fresh and flavorful, you can use smaller portions and still feel satiated. A small amount of buttery ham or spicy sausage goes a long way. Also, this recipe holds the distinction of being gluten-free – how many restaurant Benedicts can claim that?!