EGGS BENEDICT WITH ALSASIAN CHRISTMAS SAUSAGE

Back in the early 2000’s, I delivered a Viking 72 from San Diego to the Panama Canal with the owner, his fiancée and several guests and crew. On Christmas Day we pulled into one of my favorite stops along the Mexican Riviera, Barra de Navidad. Rather fitting because Navidad in Spanish translates to Christmas. As a special treat, I made the yacht my famous Heuvos Benedictos otherwise known as Eggs Benedict. As a little twist from to ordinary, instead of Canadian bacon (back bacon from our Cannuk friends) I make a delicious Alsatian Christmas Sausage as a substitute.



Ingredients for Alsatian Christmas Sausage
5 pound Boston butt
2 ½ tbsp coarse salt
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 ½ tbsp sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
1 ¼ tsp course black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Preparation

Grind up the Boston butt and mix in the above ingredients in no particular order. If you don’t have a meat grinder, store bought bulk sausage will work as long as it is no seasoned. Form sausage patties to conform to the size of the English muffins. Makes about 20 patties. Trust me, you’ll enjoy the extra patties!

Ingredients for Hollandaise Sauce

4 egg yolks
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup unsalted clarified butter (1 stick)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients for Eggs Benedict

8 sausage patties
8 Slices of Brioche or 4 English muffins, split
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
8 eggs
16 asparagus spears, grilled and seasoned to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Hollandaise sauce, recipe above

Preparation

Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice over a double boiler until eggs are slightly thickened, about 130°. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter.  Season with salt and pepper.
Brown the sausage in a skillet and set aside. While skillet is hot, butter English muffins on one side and grill in pan.
Bring water to a boil, adding white wine vinegar and reduce heat to medium. Place eggs into ramekins and add to the water.  Cook until egg white is set; 4 minutes for soft yokes and 7 minutes for medium. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Stack English muffins with grilled sausage and poached egg.  Top with Hollandaise sauce. Garnish top of Hollandaise with chives and a sprinkling of paprika and plate grilled asparagus and sharp cheddar cheese. Serves 4. Merry Christmas. JW