Snail-less-cargo � April Fools?

In case you�re wondering if I thought of the name first, and then developed the recipe, I think we both know the answer to that question. That said, I really thought I could pull it off.

The old clich� when it comes escargot is that it�s really just an excuse to eat garlic butter, and that the snail is just some sort of flavorless delivery system. Turns out that�s not the case. This suffered from a lack of meaty earthiness the escargot provides.

Like I said in video, if I make this again, I will caramelize the mushrooms in a pan, which I�m sure would help.  Or, maybe I�ll just use snails. Speaking of which, feel free to use this exact technique with actual escargot, as everything other than the mushroom was spot on. You can find those online, along with the other special items you�ll need, such as the shells, the pan, the tongs, and the forks.

So, whether you use mushrooms or snails, and please don�t use mushrooms, I really hope you give this classic French appetizer a try soon. No joke. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 40 shells:

20 large brown mushrooms, halved

3 cups water

few pieces of nori seaweed

1 teaspoon miso

1 tablespoon soy sauce

salt to taste
40 extra-large escargot shells

For the butter:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

4-6 cloves finely minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1/2 cup chopped parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 or 2 teaspoons Pernod

- Bake at 450 F. for 10-12 minutes

Demi-Glace: Part 2 � Half Again

I could�ve squeezed this stuff into the last video (Demi-Glace Part 1), but it was already too long, and I didn�t want to rush through what�s just as important information. Plus, I really wanted to show some more gelatinized sauce slapping. People really seem to enjoy that, maybe a little too much.

Once you go through all the trouble of making homemade demi-glace, you�ll want to make sure you portion and store it properly, so that it provides you with many months of stellar sauces. 

As seen in the video, you should get 16 nice blocks, each enough for about two servings, depending on the sauce. As amazing as this stuff is when used as a simple pan sauce, stay tuned for a few proper demi-based sauces at some point. I�ve always wanted to do a bordelaise sauce, and now we can. 

Besides using this for sauces, you can also throw a block into braised dishes like short ribs, or coq au vin, and you take something already pretty great, and make it truly memorable. I hope you give homemade demi-glace a try soon. Enjoy!

Demi-Glace: Part 1 � Feel the Veal

If you saw the post from earlier today, you know this video has been delayed do to mysterious, and near catastrophic audio problems, but finally we have the first �demi� of the recipe, and I hope it was worth the wait.

This is my technique for veal demi-glace, and there�s not much to it. I�m going for a pure veal stock reduction, fortified with nothing more than mirepoix and tomato. I don�t do the classic roux-based �espagnole� sauce, which is traditionally mixed with veal stock and reduced by half.

Modern versions like this forgo the flour, and simply reduce the stock until the natural gelatin from the bones thickens things up. You get a much more intensely flavored sauce, with a wonderfully luxurious mouthfeel. I also usually make a pure version of the stock without the traditional �bouquet garni,� which is a very classic bundle of herbs and spices, usually wrapped and tied in a piece of leek.

It looks pretty, but I can add any or all of those flavors anytime I want, and we�re also always going to use this as a base for other sauces and applications, all of which bring their own herb and spice blends. Basically, like to keep my options open.

Stay tuned for part two, where I�ll show you what to do with this life-changing liquid, as well as how to portion and store it for many months of brown sauce nirvana. I hope you call your butcher and order some veal bones soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 3-4 quarts of Demi-Glace:

10 lbs veal bones, joints and marrow bones

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces

3 onions, cut in eighths (I did without thinking, but you don�t have to peel the onions)

4 ribs celery, cut in 2-inch pieces

1 (6-oz) can tomato paste

*10 quarts water

*While the stock simmers very, very gently for 18 hours, the level will drop a few inches in the pot, which is fine, but if it seems like the liquid level is getting low, add a few cups of water in.

Scallop Gratin � When it Comes to Scallops, Dry is Good

As far as I�m concerned, a simple gratin is the most delicious way to cook fresh scallops. The technique is infinitely adaptable, and as long as you�re keeping an eye on things during the broiler step, not a lot can go wrong. In fact, the only real way to screw this recipe up would be to use the wrong scallops.

And by �wrong,� I mean any that have been soaked in a preservative brine. These are easy to identify, as they�re usually sitting in a pool of milky liquid. What you want are usually sold as wild �day-boat,� �diver,� or �dry-pack� scallops. They are really expensive, and worth every penny.

Brined scallops have an unpleasant aftertaste, leak out tons of water, and shrink down to nothing. Other than that, they�re great. Ideally you�re getting your scallops fresh, but frozen will work, as long as the ingredient label says nothing but �scallops.� You�ll also want to thaw them slowly, and pat dry thoroughly before using.

This is a great dish for parties, as you can prep your ramekins ahead of time, and then pop them in the oven when you�re ready. I can�t give exact times, since this will depend on the size of your scallops, and dish, but just start in a nice hot oven for a few minutes, and then finish under the broiler, until browned and just cooked through. When the scallops spring back to the touch, they should be done.

Like I said in the video, if you�re not confident cooking seafood, and/or haven�t worked with scallops before, this gratin is a great place to start. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions:
1/4 cup cr�me fraiche

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Pinch of cayenne

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup decent white wine

8 fresh scallops (mine were trimmed, but if need be, pull off any �feet,� which are tough, small pieces of muscle sometimes attached to the side of the scallop)

2 tablespoon melted butter, plus more as needed

2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan

French bread to dip

Brandade � Hot Cod

There are certain things that if I see on a menu, I will almost always order them, and brandade is one of those things. This amazing dish from the south of France can be made many different ways, but it�s usually some sort of combination of salt cod, potato, garlic, and olive oil.

Once made, it can be eaten as is, or turned into a beautifully browned and bubbly gratin. Actually, forget I said that, as this should always be baked and eaten piping hot, ideally with some homemade crostini.

The biggest (and only) challenge with this dish is handling the salt cod. It needs to be soaked in cold water for a day or two before you can work with it. However, depending on which salt cod you use, the time this takes can vary. If you�ve never used it before, follow the instructions herein, but maybe cut off a small piece once it�s soaked, cook it in a little bit of water, and test it for salt content. It should still be kind of salty, but not unpleasantly so.

As I mention in the video, the final product should get precariously close to being too salty, without going past that point. It's going to be similar to things like smoked salmon, prosciutto, or salami. This is why you should not do any salting, including when you boil the potatoes, until everything comes together.

This is a great recipe for entertaining, since you can make it ahead of time, and bake when you�re ready to serve. You can use one large shallow dish, or do a smaller size portion like I did here. Remember everything is cooked; so all you need to do is heat it through, brown the top, and serve. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 24 snack-sized portions:

1 pound skinless salt cod fillet, soaked in cold water for 24-36 hours, changing water 4-5 times

2 bay leaves

6 springs thyme

1 1/2 cups whole milk

pinch cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

8 large garlic cloves, peeled, halved

1 pound gold potatoes, cooked until tender with garlic

1/2 lemon, juiced, or to taste

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp cr�me fraiche for the top, optional

- Bake at 450 F. for about 20, or until browned

Hello, it�s Chef Dijon, from Foodwishes.com!

Instead of New Year�s resolutions like, �lose weight,� or �learn French,� I decided to knock a few items off the video recipe bucket list, and �making Dijon mustard� was first on the agenda. I�m not sure if I�ve ever kept a New Year�s resolution before, so this is a new and strange experience. It�s also great on hot dogs.

This recipe comes from my friend, and About.com�s Food Preservation Expert, Sean Timberlake. Since I�m a newbie, I wanted to use a recipe from someone I could harass in person if need be. That won�t be necessary, as this came out pretty well for a first attempt.

By the way, Sean says you can start to taste the final flavor profile after three days, but I recommended a week in the video, just to play it safe. It really does take some time for the rawness to wear off, and that familiar mustard flavor to emerge.

In hindsight, I should have used a real blender to grind the soaked seeds. I opted for the hand-held for a better shot, but I don�t think I extracted as much flavor as I could have. I really enjoyed the texture, but I think I will try another batch in the blender, and go for something smoother, and even stronger.

As with all condiments, you can and should adjust this to your taste. This style of Dijon doesn�t contain any sweetener, but a little sugar or honey are common additions these days. You can also adjust the acidity, and I did add a little more than called for, since I tend to like things on the sharper side.

Speaking of acidity, I just canned mine using the hot mustard to seal the sterilized jars. This is not a product that will spoil easily, but for any kind of long-term storage, you�ll want to can in a hot water bath (see instructions here).

So, if you were looking for a totally doable, and completely edible New Year�s resolution, then this might be for you. Thank you to Mr. Timberlake for sharing his recipe, and I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted ever so slightly from this one by Sean Timberlake/About.com.
Ingredients for four (8-ounce) jars of Dijon:

1 1/2 cups white wine

2/3 cup white wine vinegar (original recipe calls for 1/2 cup)

1 cup water, plus more as needed

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup yellow mustard seeds

1/4 cup dry mustard

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

How to Make Puff Pastry Shells � Vol au Venting!

As promised, here�s the video for how to make your own puff pastry shells, or vol au vents, as they'd be called in France, and select U.S. locations. These are fairly simple to make, and once baked the real fun begins, as they can hold so many amazing fillings, both sweet and savory.

The key is making sure your puff pastry dough is very firm, and very cold, preferably still partially frozen, before you start cutting it. You want nice clean cuts, because if you mash the layers of pastry together, your shells will not rise as high, and they can also bake into some strange shapes. Having said that, even though I was filming, and working way too slowly, these still came out pretty well.

Once they�re filled they look great, so it�s not that big of a deal, but in general, the colder the dough, the nicer the final product. Other than being too rough with the dough, the other common mistake is under cooking. Your shells might look beautiful at 15 minutes, but may still be kind of raw inside. As long as the outside is not getting too dark, don�t be afraid to let them bake a bit longer.

Regarding the scraps. You can�t re-roll the trimmed puff pastry and have the shells come out the same, but what you can do is cut it into irregular shapes, egg wash it, and dust with cinnamon and sugar. Once baked to a crispy, golden-brown, you�ll have a great little sweet treat to serve with coffee or tea. I hope you give this easy and fun technique a try very soon. Enjoy!

Duck Rillettes � It Only Tastes Like Duck Butter with Extra Butter

Duck rillettes is one of the most amazing culinary magic tricks of all time. Even though most of the spread is made up of fairly lean duck meat, by emulsifying in a little butter, duck fat, and duck gelatin, you�ll swear the final product has the fat content of the finest foie gras torchon. By the way, I miss foie gras torchon.

The key here is to mash the large chunks of cold duck with the warm duck fat and gelatin. As the meat breaks down, the fat cools and turns the whole bowl into creamy duck spread heaven. Pack it in a crock, keep it sealed with a layer of fat, and you have an incredibly tasty snack that will last long into the winter months.

Some chefs prefer to let the duck sit overnight with the rub on, and �potpourri� in, but I skip that step, and instead let the duck cool in it�s own juices after roasting, and then sit overnight in the fridge, to continue developing flavor. Once made, it can be enjoyed right away, but if you can hold off a few days, it will really come into its own. Or eat right away, and in a few days.

I know it�s a little early for edible holiday gift ideas, but keep this one in mind. The only problem is, once you�ve given duck rillettes as a gift, you�ll never give a gift as good. Just a little heads-up. That aside, I really hope you give this preserved duck spread a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 cups of Duck Rillettes:

1 whole duck (about 4 1/2 pounds)

- For spice rub:

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 generous teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

- For the potpourri:

12 cloves garlic

six 1/4-inch slices fresh ginger

3 bay leaves

peel from 1 orange (only orange parts)

1 generous bunch fresh thyme

- Roast duck at 250 F. for about 5-6 hours, or until meat pulls away from the bones

To finish:

cold pulled duck meat

1 tablespoon Armagnac or cognac or other brandy

2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter

2-3 tablespoons warm duck fat (add as needed)

2 tablespoons warm duck stock

2 teaspoons parsley

1 teaspoons chive

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne

Coq Au Vin � Rock Out with Your Coq Out

Some recipes just shouldn�t be translated to English. It�s not that telling your guests they�re having �Cock with Wine,� sounds so bad, it�s just that after dinner I want them tweeting about how great the dish tasted, not how funny/inappropriate the name was.

 The other issue would be one of false advertising, since I have no idea where you get an old rooster these days. I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead, which I think work perfectly here. Like all braised dishes, tougher cuts with lots of connective tissue work best, and on a chicken that would be the thigh/leg section.

Of course, someone will ask if they can use chicken breasts, and technically you can, but please don�t. They just will not add that sticky goodness to the braising liquid that the thighs will.

This really is a simple recipe, and all gets done in one pan, but there are several steps, as you build up fond after fond. Before any wine or stock hits the pan, we want a thick, gorgeous layer of caramelization, which is where much of this recipe�s flavor comes from.

I don�t want to sound cocky, but this really was delicious, and as I say in the video, the mushroom, bacon, and onion mixture alone is worth making this for. I hope you give it a try soon. And please, use the French name. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:
8 oz sliced bacon

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

salt and pepper to taste

*note: after cooking bacon and browning chicken, discard all but 1 tbsp of the fat before cooking the vegetables

2 shallots, sliced

1/2 large yellow onion, diced (traditionally they use pearl onions)

10 large button mushrooms, quartered

2 tsp butter

2 tsp flour

1 1/2 cups red wine

1 cup chicken broth

6 springs thyme

- Braise for about 1 hour 375, or until the thighs are tender

Pancetta-Wrapped Leek Gratin � Simply Amazing

I�m all about simply prepared vegetables, but every once in a while I need to cover them in caramelized pork and cheese, and this stunningly delicious pancetta-wrapped leek gratin was one of those times. I love those times.

This �umami bomb� is so flavorful and satisfying, it almost seems disrespectful to serve it as a side dish. Pair this with a slice of buttered bread, hedge your bets with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and enjoy a truly special lunch.

For extra credit, after you finish your meal, call your best French friend and describe what you had. They will love and hate you for it. So, whether you make this for lunch, or use it to upstage a steak or grilled piece of salmon, I hope you give this great leek gratin a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions:

3 large leeks

about 4 oz pancetta

2 tsp olive oil

salt, pepper and cayenne to taste

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup drinkable white wine

1/3 cup heavy cream

finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese as needed
chives to garnish

Orange Duck � Orange You Glad I Didn�t Call It Duck a l'Orange?

I don�t think I�ve made Duck �a l'Orange� since culinary school, nor tried to pronounce it, but thanks to a rather enticing photo in a friend�s cookbook, I decided to go full culinary time machine, and I�m so glad I did.

That friend would be award-winning food blogger and author, Hank Shaw. He�s recently published a cookbook called Duck, Duck, Goose: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Waterfowl, Both Farmed and Wild, which was the inspiration for this gorgeous, and very easy dish. Still looking for a sexy Valentine�s entr�e? You could do a lot worse.

This is one of those classic dishes that somehow became a clich�, and people stopped making it for fear of looking un-cool, which is too bad, since it�s really good. This is traditionally done with a whole roasted duck, but by using breasts we get pretty much the same results, in a lot less time.

My version is very close to Hank�s, except I don�t use orange juice. I prefer the flavor of the sauce with just marmalade, zest, and Grand Marnier. Speaking of the Grand Marnier, other than other orange liquors, I�ll be offering no alternatives. That�s what literally gives the sauce its soul.

By the way, if you want to raise your �game� game, I encourage you to check out Hank's cookbook. I think it�s very well done, and gets basically all 5-star reviews on Amazon. So, check that out, check this out, and as always enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions:

2 duck breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp duck fat or vegetable oil

1 tsp flour

2 tsp grated orange zest

2 tbsp Grand Marnier (orange liquor)

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

pinch of cayenne

1 rounded tbsp orange marmalade (preferably Seville orange marmalade)

1 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp butter

extra zest for garnish

Coquilles St-Jacques � Hey, Have You Tried That New Saint James Diet?

Coquilles St-Jacques is the kind of unapologetically rich shellfish dish that we used to be able to enjoy, before the book-writing dieticians and celebrity chefs ruined it for everybody. 

Fats of all sorts were demonized, and young cooks far and wide were told to never, ever, under any circumstances, cover-up the delicate flavors of seafood with heavy sauces, especially ones containing cheese.

So, an amazing recipe like this went from classic French treat to crime against nature, and it slowly but surely started disappearing from menus. You can still find it in a few of the braver bistros, but to enjoy on any kind of semi-regular basis, you�ll need to master it at home. The good news is that�s very easy to do.

By the way, this is a great recipe for entertaining larger groups during the holidays, since it can be prepped well ahead of time. For this reason, Coquilles St-Jacques has always been a favorite of caterers and banquet chefs, and below the ingredients list, I�ll give some instructions on how they do it.

You can use sea scallops like I did, or the smaller, sweeter bay scallops, which are really nice in this. Of course, if you use bay scallops, you�ll only need a minute in the simmering wine, so be careful. No matter what you use, be sure they haven�t been dipped in a preservative solution. If you buy them frozen, which you should, the label should only say, �Scallops.�

The shells can be easily found online, or at your local restaurant supply store. Otherwise, simply use some small, shallow gratin dishes, which will work exactly the same. Find something, and give this �scallop recipe that time forgot� a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup diced shallots
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup white wine

1 pound sea scallops (about 3 scallops per person)

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk

cayenne to taste
2 tsp minced tarragon

1 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup grated Gruy�re cheese

Broil on high, about 8-10 inches under the flame, until the scallops are hot, and the cheese is browned and bubbling. Because of the sugars in the wine and cream, the edges will br�l�e or burn, but this is not a problem, and actually how it�s supposed to look.

NOTE: You can make these ahead, and refrigerate until needed. Since they will be cold, you�ll need to bring back to temperature before you broil them. Preheat oven to 350 F. and bake for about 12-15 minutes (will depend on how you constructed them), or until the centers are just warm. Switch oven to broil, and broil on high as shown. 

Perfect French Baguette at Home � Only Impossible If You Don�t Try It

Whenever someone asked me why I hadn�t done a baguette video yet, I�d tell them because you just can�t recreate an authentic loaf of French bread at home. 

I�d explain about the water, the flour, the centuries old starters, and the steam-injected ovens. I told them what I�d been told; that it was simply impossible, or as the French say, "impossible!"

That was, until I actually tried to make some. Much to my amazement, not only was it possible, it was really pretty simple. The key is water. That goes for the dough, and the baking environment. The dough must be very sticky, as in hard-to-work-with sticky. This is nothing well-floured fingers can�t conquer, but I did want to give you a heads-up.

Besides the water content in the dough, the oven must also be moist. This humidity, in addition to some occasional misting will give the crusty baguettes their signature look. How does this work? You know how when someone pours water on the rocks in a dry sauna, and suddenly it feels way hotter? It probably has something to do with that.

Anyway, who cares why it works, the important thing here is that real, authentic, freshly-baked baguette is now an everyday reality. One thing worth noting; I adapted this no-knead version from a recipe I found herelast year. The original is in metric, so I�ve converted it, but also included the original flour and water units in case you want to get it exact. I hope you give this easy, and so not impossible baguette recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

For 4 smaller or 2 large baguette:

1/4 tsp dry active yeast (I used Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast)
(Note: if you want to use a traditional bread technique, add the whole package of yeast (2 1/4 tsp) and proceed as usual)

1 1/2 cups water (325 grams)

1 3/4 tsp salt

18 oz by weight all-purpose flour (500 grams), about 4 cups

- Mix dough and let rise 12-14 hours or until doubled

- Punch down and shape loaves, let rise covered with floured plastic 1 to 1 1/2 hr or until almost doubled

- Bake at 550 F. about 15 minutes or until well-browned

- Spray with water before baking, at 5 minutes, and at 10 minutes during cooking time

Salad Lyonnaise � A Super Salad from a City of Meat

How great is Salad Lyonnaise? Lyon is considered the meat capital of France, and yet the city�s most famous, and reproduced dish is probably this simple frisee salad. Now that�s some delicious irony.

Don�t worry�this salad is far from vegan. The mildly bitter greens are dressed in a shallot and Dijon dressing, it�s spiked with a generous handful of crispy lardons, or bacon in my case, and topped with a runny egg.

By the way, unless you�re some kind of crazy person, you�re going to need some crispy croutons or crostini to finish this masterpiece off. Here�s a link to the ones I used for this, sans Parmigiano-Reggiano. You�ll also want to taste and adjust the dressing to your liking. I use a 2-to-1, oil to vinegar ratio, as I think you need some acidity to cut the richness of the bacon and egg yolk, but you may not want it as sharp.

As I joked about in the video, this is so tasty, it may be the only salad that has a chance to be picked as someone�s last meal. There�s good, and then there�s death row good. Anyway, I�ve been dying to film this old favorite, and I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

For 4 generous portions:

2 heads frisee lettuce, aka curly endive, or use arugula

8 oz bacon (or pancetta if you want to experience something closer to real lardons)

4 large eggs

1 tbsp chives

For the dressing (makes extra, about 3/4 cup total):

1 generous tbsp minced shallots

1 generous tbsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/2 cup lightly flavored olive oil

Warm Goat Cheese & Peach Tartine � Open Face, Insert Summer

I usually don�t mention the time of year during these videos, since I have no way of knowing when someone will actually view them, but when it came to this goat cheese and peach tartine, I couldn�t help myself. For me, this is summer on a slice of bread. My apologies to those of you reading/watching this in February.

August is national goat cheese month (no, I don�t know who decides these things), and what better way to enjoy ch�vre than by topping it with sweet, ripe, impossibly juicy peach slices? Mix in a little thyme and black pepper to keep things interesting, and you�re looking at a very special treat. Just make sure to use stale bread.

As I bemoaned in the clip, I used a fresh loaf, which while perfectly delicious, wasn�t perfect. Staler bread would have produced a crunchier stage for our co-stars, as there�s more then enough moisture provided by the cheese and fruit.

By the way, if you don�t have any day-old bread, but still want to enjoy this post haste, simply toss the toasted, olive-oiled slices into a 350 F. oven for a few minutes, to dry out and crisp up before you top with the cheese. Either way, you're in for a significantly tasty summer treat. I hope you give this a try soon (while it�s still summer!). Enjoy!

Ingredients for each Warm Goat Cheese & Peach Tartine:

1 thick slice French bread, sourdough or not

1 tbsp olive oil, or as needed

2 oz fresh goat cheese

3 slices fresh peach

fresh thyme leaves and freshly ground black pepper to taste

salt to taste

You Can Count on Monte Cristo Benedict for Mother�s Day Brunch

I always get a ton of food wishes this time of year for creative brunch ideas, and I was thinking about doing some new type of eggs Benedict, when I happened to see a photo of a Monte Cristo sandwich. At first, it just made me want a Monte Cristo sandwich, but after that wore off, I started thinking about how I�d seen these topped with fried eggs before.

Long story short, I decided to simply make an open-faced version of the famous stuffed sandwich, and top it with poached eggs, and hopefully a new American brunch classic was born. Of course, I'll let you decide, but there was nothing I didn�t love about this plate of food. Okay, the salad was kind of phoned in, but the rest was awesome.

The base is a variation of our famous Restaurant Style French Toast recipe, which marries perfectly with the ham, cheddar and havarti. It was so tasty you really don�t even need the poached eggs. Actually, forget I said that. Do the eggs. If only so you can pop those yolks, and watch them run. Besides the eating, that has to be the best part.

I�ve also re-posted a poached eggs demo below, since poaching your eggs ahead of time is the only way to go, especially if you have a larger group. By the way, you can hold the Monte Cristo bases in a warm oven while you pull the rest of the meal together. I hope you give this new Benedict a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the batter:

2 large eggs

1/4 cup cream

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

4 thick slices of French bread
1 tbsp butter

8 slices ham

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 slices havarti cheese

8 poached eggs

chive to garnish

How to Poach Eggs 

 

View the complete Poached Eggs recipe

View the complete Monte Cristo Benedict recipe