Smoked salmon eggs "Benedict"

I am a little smitten with Sweet Paul right now.  I'd known of the man peripherally, having seen the pretty magazines here and there and vaguely associating the name with pretty food and things.  But recently, I was at the library and picked up a copy of Sweet Paul's book, Eat & Make.

A lighter take on Eggs Benedict; this with spinach, smoked salmon, and a poached egg

Now I know a lot more about Sweet Paul (or Paul Lowe) and I feel like I found something of a kindred spirit.  When it comes to food, his philosophy of few ingredients, simple and easy with delicious results, is exactly what appeals to me!  His love of eggs and insistence that only amaretto would do in tiramisu pretty much sealed the deal.  Seriously, the book is beautiful and the recipes are so do-able and concise because of that very food philosophy.  I know I wanted to celebrate this discovery and make something from the book.

I settled on this smoked salmon eggs Benedict to start.  It's a twist on the classic eggs Benedict. Instead of Canadian bacon, there's smoked salmon, reflecting Sweet Paul's Norwegian upbringing.  It sits on top of some sauteed spinach (which basically makes this something of an eggs Benedict-eggs Florentine hybrid) and under a poached egg.  There's something about a poached egg that just takes things to another level of special! 

I made this for myself last Monday morning to shake up my usual breakfast routine.  It was a lovely breakfast for one and would make a terrific breakfast for two or however many you like.  Some might miss the Hollandaise sauce, of course, but this lighter version is just right for me.  The egg yolk and the smoked salmon provide plenty of richness.  

I lightened the dish further by cooking the spinach in a little olive oil instead of butter.  Instead of toasted white bread, I opted for the traditional English muffin.  I seriously love myself some English muffins!  I choose to just serve the muffin top alongside to munch on.  It made for a hearty yet light breakfast - a great way to start the day and week.

A really good Monday morning breakfast for yours truly

Another quick word on the subject of Eat & Make - the book is divided into recipes and craft projects.  Sadly, I'm no crafter.  In my mind, I can imagine myself in a beautiful Martha Stewart-esque craft room rocking a glue gun but that's pure fantasy and not my reality.  So while the craft part doesn't call out to me, the whole aesthetic of the book as well as the simple but beautiful recipes really do.  (How did this turn into a quasi book review?!)


I love going to our neighborhood farmer's market on Sunday mornings whenever I can and there's one particular organic vegetable farm that I (and everyone else, it seems) really love.  The spinach I used for this smoked salmon "Benedict", which I sauteed with a little garlic and red pepper flakes, came from there.  Baby spinach would be most convenient.  With heartier spinach that I used, I simply broke up the larger leaves before cooking.  I used wild Alaskan smoked salmon. 

Depending on appetite and who you're cooking for, you might want to increase the portion, serve two poached egg per person using both halves of the English muffin.  Or use a different kind of bread; a bigger slice of bread gives you a little more surface space to play with.  I just love whole wheat English muffins so that's my preference.

I took a few quick snaps and couldn't wait to dig into my breakfast!  I'm looking forward to enjoying this on a leisurely weekend morning with my husband. 


Recipe:

Smoked Salmon Eggs "Benedict"
Adapted from Eat & Make by Sweet Paul (original recipe: here)

- For 2 - 

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, smashed
2-3 ounces spinach, washed and prepped
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes
2 English muffins, toasted
4 slices smoked salmon
Splash of white vinegar
2 large or extra-large eggs (the fresher, the better)

In a saucepan, bring a few inches of water to a simmer.

In the meantime, heat oil, garlic clove, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add spinach and cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes.  Season with a bit of salt and black pepper.  Remove garlic and set nearby. 

Add vinegar to the just-simmering water.  Crack eggs into small ramekins or custard cups.  Gently slide the eggs into the water, one at a time.  Simmer until whites are set, about 2-3 minutes.  You can use a slotted spoon and gently nudge the whites around its yolk.  Remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.  Trim away any ragged edges of egg whites, if necessary.

To assemble, divide spinach between two of the English muffin bottoms.  Top each with 2 slices of smoked salmon.  Place a poached egg on top of each one.  (I sprinkle the egg with some fresh ground black pepper and cayenne pepper.)  Serve immediately, with the English muffin top alongside each.