Gluten-free Eggs Benedict (and Keto, to boot)

Eggs Benedict - one of my favorite breakfast/brunch options. The combination of the soft yet crispy English muffin, salty Canadian bacon, perfectly soft poached egg, and the lemony, creamy, somewhat-spicy hollandaise sauce. IMO, with a side of fresh cut fruit, it's the ideal breakfast delicacy.

A celiac wife, however, affords us the adventure of finding equitable ingredient options to satisfy both of our cravings... introducing, the gluten-free Eggs Benedict, which incorporates an egg-based English "muffin" as the foundation of this elegant indulgance. The best part? These "muffins" take about 1/5 the time of the poached eggs and hollandaise sauce to prepare!

We've been scavenging Maria Emmerich's The 30 Day Ketogenic Cleanse recently and have found each entry delightful and simple to recreate. This concept, in particular, is quick, easy, and truly provides such a similar consistency to the traditional English muffin that I feel, as a gluten-seeking individual, nothing is left to be desired in this sans gluten option.

And so, without further ado, enjoy!

Maria Emmerich's Keto English Muffin

Ingredients:

(recipe accounts for 1 English "muffin" per ramekin)

- 1 tsp coconut oil

- 1 large egg

- 2 tsp coconut flour

- pinch of baking soda

- pinch of fine sea salt

Method:

1. Grease 4-ounce ramekin with coconut oil. If using toaster vs microwave for cooking, preheat to 400F.

2. In small mixing bowl, mix the egg and coconut flour with fork until well combined, then add the rest of ingredients. Stir until fully combined.

3. Place the dough in the greased ramekin.

4. Microwave on high for 1 minute (if toaster oven, bake for 12 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean)

5. Allow to cool in ramekin until ok to handle with hands. Remove muffin from ramekin and slice in half, like a traditional English muffin.

6. If you prefer your muffins with crispy edges, melt 2 teaspoons of coconut oil (or butter) in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, place muffin in fat, cut side down, and fry until edges are golden and crispy (roughly 30-45 seconds).

Hollandaise Sauce

Credit: Tyler Florence of the Food Network

Ingredients:

- 4 egg yolks

- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)

- Pinch cayenne

- Pinch salt

Method:

1. Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl, until the mixture is thickened and roughly doubled in volume.

2. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler) - the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble.

3. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume again.

4. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt.

5. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a tsp of warm water at a time until desired consistency is reached immediately before serving.

Perfectly Poached Eggs

Ingredients:

- 1 large egg

- 2 tbsp white vinegar

- 1 tbsp kosher salt

Method:

1. In a 2- or 3-qt sauce pan, add water until it reaches 1" up sides.

2. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons white vinegar, stir, and bring to boil over med-high heat.

3. Crack egg into small bowl or ramekin (makes adding to boiling water easier)

4. Once water is at a boil, turn burner off. Immediately swirl water with wooden spoon until circulating on its own.

5. Add egg carefully to center of swirling water (the swirl helps keep the eggs from separating into a feathering mess)

6. Cover pan with lid, and leave alone for 6-8 minutes, depending on desired firmness of egg when finished (6 being soft and runny, 8 being firm)

7. If preparing several for meal, you can immediately place poached egg into ice water bath to stop its cooking. This allows you to poach several ahead of plating. Reheat in barely simmering water for 30 seconds just before serving.

Eggs Benedict creation

Plate muffin, top with fried Canadian bacon and poached egg, then dollop hollandaise sauce to your heart's content. Sprinkling chopped fresh parsley on top of the sauce adds a beautiful dimension to the finished plate (unseen in my image, as I only realized I didn't have any in the middle of preparing breakfast today).