The muffins were surprisingly easy to make. The dough was light and fluffy and the muffins looked exactly like the real thing! The batch made 15 muffins so I gave some to friends, who reported back positively. I'll definitely make them again - maybe fruit ones next time! You can make the muffins a day or so in advance and then toast them when you're ready to eat. The recipe is here (note: I substituted Doves Farm organic self raising wholemeal flour for bread flour, and used baking powder where the recipe asked for baking soda, and semolina where the recipe asked for cornmeal. 2.5 teaspoons of instant yeast is one 7g sachet).
I followed these instructions for the hollandaise from Nigel Slater to the letter and had no problems. The smooth, silky, yellow sauce was delicious.
I am yet to master the art of poaching more than one egg at once. I am very good at swirling the water and poaching one egg, however, as you can't swirl the water for a second egg this is not the most productive method.
I have taken to covering a ramekin with cling film (loosely, so there's a dip in the cling film), greasing the cling film and then breaking the egg into the film, gathering the cling film at the top, enclosing the egg (much like if you were wrapping something in cellophane I guess, and tying a bow at the top) then dropping the package into the water (if my explanation made no sense at all, check out this You Tube video of someone demonstrating it. The guy filming gets a wee bit distracted at one stage, but it's a good demo!)
The result was a dreamy dinner! Gorgeous runny egg yolk, rich buttery hollandaise, fluffy English muffins with a light crunch. Ta-dah!
6 comments:
LOVE the look of these - want to try them myself. Really like the fact that they're wholemeal too...
Another one for my weekend baking list!
Sarah x
Looks divine! I always manage to mess up hollandaise - will try Slater's method of whisking it in a bowl and hopefully it'll turn out as beautiful as yours!
Muffins look really good. I'd always assumed they would be really difficult to make.
That looks excellent! And hats off to the great plate you served them on!
I've never gone wrong with poached eggs since i adopted Delia Smith's egg poaching method - deep frying pan, barely simmering water, crack eggs in, simmer for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and let them sit until they're cooked. Works every time. Bless Delia.
So impressed with your muffins. Good technique too with the poached eggs - I have to say Delia's method does not work for me so I prefer the whirlpool if only cooking a few or the clingfilm method for large numbers.
Hi Sarah - I have a weekend baking list too! This weekend it's croissants and lime jam. Good luck with yours!
Hi Swedish Meatball - definitely give the sauce a go with Nigel Slater's recipe. You can't go wrong!
Mzungu - I thought they'd be difficult too, so was pleasantly surprised at how easy the muffins were.
Gin & Crumpets and Gourmet Chick - I didn't realise what a can of worms I opened when I started talking about poaching eggs on twitter! I'm going to give Delia's method a go on the weekend, but if I fail, I am back to the cling wrap for good!
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