For Father’s Day, why not take a clue from Clinton Kelly, one of the five hosts of the hit ABC daytime show “The Chew.” Kelly’s Eggs Benedict recipe is a classic that will make Sunday brunch the best part of the weekend. Find his recipe in The Chew: an Essential Guide to Cooking and Entertaining (Kingswell, an imprint of Disney Book Group), where the hosts, including Mario Batali, invite you to enjoy the fun and flavor of cooking without the hassle and expense. In addition to answers to viewer questions, there are delicious favorites handed down from the hosts’ families to yours, plus several innovative ways to put a new spin on a favorite recipe.

In Breakfast for Dinner by Carol Hilker, breakfast favorites are jazzed up to be enjoyed any time of the day. In the chapter on Eggs Just the Way You Like Them, Hilker creates indulgent classics like Fisherman’s Wharf Benedict, Fried Green Tomato Benedict, New Orleans Benedict, and a Paris-style Eggs Benedict, all perfect for a special Father’s Day brunch or perhaps even breakfast-for-dinner.

At the New York Wine & Culinary Center in the Finger Lakes region there is both a hands-on-kitchen and a demonstration theater where you can learn to make specialty foods by working side-by-side with, and/or watching professional chefs. Classes range widely from Baking for Brunches and Gourmet Meals in Minutes, to Seasonal Soups & Stocks, to Chocolate & Chilies. Classes are available for every age, interest and skill level. Listen as the chef explains the intricacies of creating the perfect Hollandaise sauce, then afterward perhaps partake of the bounty of seasonal and local ingredients in the Upstairs Bistro overlooking Canandaigua Lake. You can also sample the state’s wine, beer and spirits in the Center’s Tasting Room, and shop the boutique stocked with regional specialty food products.

Now try making eggs Benedict in your own kitchen with these recipes from Breakfast for Dinner, recipes by Carol Hilker, (photography by Toby Scott. Ryland Peters & Small. www.rylandpeters.com).

Fisherman’s Wharf Benedict on Sourdough

http://www.rylandpeters.com. Serves 4

4 slices fresh sourdough bread

3 cups shredded/picked over good-quality crab meat, at room temperature

8 eggs

4 oz. chevre goats’ cheese sliced into quarters

2 ripe avocados, halved, stoned/pitted and sliced

Lemon-Hollandaise

6 egg yolks

Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 & ½ cups unsalted butter, melted

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Make the lemon hollandaise in a small saucepan, double boiler, or pot set over low heat,
bring 2 inches of water to a bare simmer. Place a metal bowl over the pot to form a bain-marie.
Add the yolks, lemon zest and mustard to the bowl of the bain-marie and whisk constantly until the mixture is thickened and ribbons form when you pull the whisk away from the bowl (should take about 4 -5 minutes). The yolks should double to triple in volume.

Slowly whisk in the melted butter, stirring constantly. Once the butter is fully incorporated, add the salt, pepper and paprika and continue whisking for about 3 minutes, until thick. If the mixture is too thick, add a little hot water as needed. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F., (Gas 8). Cut the sourdough bread in half and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until toasted, about 5 minutes. Put two sourdough halves on each plate and top with crab, dividing evenly.

To poach the eggs, bring 1 inch water to the boil in a medium pan. Lower the heat so that small bubbles form on the bottom of the pan and break to the surface only occasionally. Crack the eggs into the water one at a time, holding the shells close to the water’s surface and letting the eggs slide out gently. Poach the eggs, in two batches to keep them from crowding, 6 minutes for soft-cooked. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon, pat dry with a paper towel, and place one egg on each crab-topped sourdough half.

Top each egg with 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon hollandaise (gently reheated if necessary) and top with the goats’ cheese and sliced avocado. Serve immediately.

New Orleans Benedict

Serves 4.

4 eggs

4 un-sugared beignets or un-sugared doughnuts, sliced in half, or substitute with French bread

4 Cajun-style andouille sausages, cooked and sliced (or other spicy smoked pork sausage)

2 spring onions/scallions, thinly sliced

Cajun hollandaise

8 egg yolks

1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 & ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted

A little hot water, if needed

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon celery salt

¼ teaspoon dried dill

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Making the Cajun hollandaise in a small saucepan or pot set over low heat. Bring 2 inches of water to a bare simmer. Place a metal bowl over the pot to form a bain-marie. Add the yolks, half of the lemon juice and all of the zest to the bowl of the bain-marie and whisk constantly until the mixture is thickened and ribbons form when you pull this whisk away (should take about 4 – 5 minutes.) The yolks should double to triple in volume.

Slowly whisk in the melted butter, stirring constantly. If the mixture is too thick, add a
little hot water as needed. Once the butter is fully incorporated, stir in the second half of lemon juice and all the spices. Turn off the heat but keep the mixture over the hot water to help maintain the heat.

To poach the eggs, bring 1 inch water to the boil in a medium pan. Lower the heat so that small bubbles for on the bottom of the pan and break to the surface only occasionally. Crack the eggs into the water one at a time, holding the shells close to the water’s surface and letting the eggs slide out gently. Poach the eggs, in two batches to keep them from crowding, 6 minutes for soft cooking. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and pat dry with a paper towel.

Arrange the halved doughnuts or beignets on plates and carefully place a few slices of the cooked andouille sausage and a poached egg on top of one half. Cover in Cajun hollandaise, finish with sliced spring onion/scallions and top with the other beignet or doughnut half.

Serve immediately.

Ann Hattes has over 25 years experience writing about both travel and food for publications both in the US and internationally. A senior living in Wisconsin, she’s a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association and the Midwest Travel Writers Association.

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