One of my very good friends, Stephan Moccio, has penned the Olympic Theme Song “I Believe”  He’s written over 200 different variations of the theme to capture the mood and the spirit of the different games.  Another of my friends, Marguerite Laquinte Francis, is involved with the Concord Place Exhibition space for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. To top it off, my cousin is involved with ticket sales for the Games.

I have always loved Vancouver.  It is a place of special memories for me.  The last time I was in Vancouver, we stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Vancouver and I spent an afternoon nursing my bruises at the spa in Fairmont Whistler after a run in with an overzealous ski boarder.

The food at the Fairmont is delicious! We ordered room service for breakfast and the Eggs Benedict were the best I’ve ever had.  In honor of my friends who are involved with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, here is an eggs benedict recipe for you to enjoy.

Vancouver 2010 Eggs Benedict

2 whole eggs
2 slices bacon
1 whole English Muffin, halved

For the Hollandaise sauce

2/3 cup clarified butter
2 egg yolks
5-6 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
squeeze of lemon juice
pinch cayenne pepper

To make the hollandaise sauce, melt the butter in a pan over a gentle heat, then carefully skim off and discard the milk solids and pour the golden oil into a cup.  Set the clarified butter aside to cool until lukewarm.  Place two tablespoons of vinegar and the peppercorns into a small saucepan. Boil to reduce the vinegar by half.

Put egg yolks and one tablespoon of cold water into a heatproof bowl and fit snugly over a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk vigorously until very light and frothy.

Remove the bowl from the heat and continue whisking for a couple more minutes. Slowly trickle in the clarified butter as you continue to whisk. Don’t add the butter too quickly or it will curdle. When all the butter is incorporated, season with salt and add the reduced vinegar, lemon juice and cayenne. Set aside and keep warm. You can set the bowl back over the pan of hot water (but off the heat) to keep warm. Be sure to stir occasionally to stop a skin forming.

Grill the bacon slices and toast the English Muffin.

To poach your eggs, fill a saucepan with 3 inches of cold water. Gently break each egg into a ramekin or small cup. Once water reaches boiling point, remove from heat and allow the water to simmer. Add two tablespoons of vinegar to the water. Slide the eggs into the water with care, holding the cup or plate as near to the water as possible before allowing the egg to slowly slip into the water. Once the eggs are in the water, do not move them around. Let the eggs cook for 2½ – 3½ minutes. Once done, removed with a slotted spoon. It takes a while to master poaching a perfect egg. You can trim any stringy bits before serving, no one will be the wiser! Poached eggs cool quickly and should be served while still warm.

To serve, place the bacon on top of the muffin halves, followed by the poached egg. Season with salt and pepper and then pour over the sauce. This recipe serves two.

Variations: Grill sliced tomato in place of the bacon, for a vegetarian option. Substitute toasted rice bread for the English muffin, for a gluten-free option.

Who Is The Accidental Chef?

Deborah, or iDeborah as she’s affectionately known on Twitter, loves to experiment in the kitchen. She started this blog to encourage others to get creative in the kitchen… and to record some of her accidental creations so she can enjoy them again! To learn more about what she does when she’s not in the kitchen, visit iDeborah.com