Caesar Benedict

I love eggs Benedict, in fact if I was to have a last supper it would be eggs Benedict with a side of chicken poached in white wine.
 

Let us however not get all morbid. 
 

Eggs Benedict is supposed to have originated at that temple to luxurious living the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Supposedly as a bet. Really? Some rich drunk sod says: “Hey Oscar, I bet you can’t make anything out of this stale muffin, some bacon and a metric butt load of eggs.”

Obviously Oscar won that bet.
 

It does not however stop at the simple eggs Benedict, oh no, there are many variations on the original “Bennie”. There are eggs Benedict Arnold with sausage gravy and a biscuit, eggs Florentine that replaces the bacon with spinach, Cali Benedict which has tomatoes and avocados, an Italian Benedict with salami or prosciutto, Andouille Benedict with spicy sausage instead of bacon, and on and on. There are salmon cake bennies, crab bennies, and endless veggie bennies. There are even gluten free bennies where potato cakes or hash browns take the place of the muffin. 
 

There is even an Eggs Pope Benedict which features bratwurst on pumpernickel bread, topped with the traditional poached egg and hollandaise. I don't know, I'm not the best Catholic in the world (or country, state, city, suburb possibly even flat) however I wonder if this is appropriate? Oh well, I will just get fitted for an asbestos suit and hope that Hail Mary's are not like vacation time in that you can build up a reservoir of them for events in the future and that they don't disappear if you fail to cash them in before the deadline. 

 

Well today we are going to have Caesar Bennie. Whether this is named after the same Caesar that created the Caesar Salad in Tijuana in the 1920’s or if it is named after Julius Caesar or any of the Imperators that bore that name in later years, is a complete mystery to me. (Doupleplus I was unable to locate the information on Wikipedia.) 

Ingredients:  
 

To serve 2 marshmallowy peeps for a brunchy brunch:

2 Split English Muffins

½ Cup of béarnaise sauce (Check the better joy of cooking Betty crocodile)

2 Eggs

2 Slices of prosciutto or Parma ham

2 Tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese

Method:  
 

Make the béarnaise sauce, or cheat like I do on occasion and open a packet of hollandaise sauce, add some water (per packet directions) a little tarragon and a teaspoon of white wine vinegar. It’s up to you and to be perfectly frank they taste d@mn near the same. The packet might even be better, sad but true.  Must be a lack of chemicals, I need more chemicals, quick give me a Kraft Mac n’ Cheese luminous orange dinner and a side of berry blue Kool-aid! Ah that’s better…nothing like a little FD&C Blue No. 1 to get you back on your feet. It’s made from coal tar if you didn’t know, mmmm coal tar, blue no. 1 tar…
 

Ok enough of that. While the sauce is staying fairly warm (Over hot water or at the back of the stove not on a burner.) Poach the eggs, how you ask? Well jolly good thing you asked me. I use a skillet and put about an inch of water over medium high heat till it is just simmering. Then I grease up some moulds made by cutting the lid and the bottom off small cans of pineapple rings. Set the molds into the simmering water and break an egg into each. You should end up with perfectly round poached eggs, I over cook my poached eggs because I do not like them that runny. Yet I will eat a soft boiled egg with toast soldiers? While this is going on toast the muffins and butter them. Heat the ham in a small skillet or griddle, place on the muffins, top with poached egg and a dollop of sauce. If you happen to be a sauce fanatic like me you can top the muffin with a little sauce before you add the ham and egg, then again I have been known to sit on a fire escape and eat a jar of mayonnaise mixed with warm mushy pasta. 
 

For a side I like fruit or steamed asparagus, ok, I lie. I like roasted or pan fried potatoes, but as you are getting enough carbs from the muffin I usually try to lighten it up (really funny spell checker just tried to turn that into: “…as you are getting enough crabs from the muffin…” heh…I know I have the sense of humor of a ten year old.). 
*Note the red rings are home made spiced apple rings! I was accosted on the bus by someone who interigated me about what that "Bright Fruit" was...hey kids, to be honest I photograph this stuff weeks before it hits the bloggy blog. I forgot and said "Oranges?" No, not oranges very much spiced apple slices. My bad!