Now looking back at the map, I see that I have missed exploring the Heart of Africa aviary as I was rushing to go for lunch at the Egg Splash Cafe so I can attend the animal presentation later at 12.30pm.
Guess what I ordered for lunch? Smoked Salmon & Egg Benedict Toast (S$15.90) using omega eggs with hollandaise sauce on onion bread. The poached egg yolks are just viscous enough without being too raw that the yolks get drained onto the plate. The salty smoked salmon with the creamy sauce and egg were so good that I wished the toasts were bigger so I can mop up the sauce.
There is just enough time before the next event is due. The Treetop Play area lets the kids bounce on the trampolines and scale the nets. There are also two shuttle stations which provide Complimentary In-park Shuttle Service. However, this tram ride is not a sightseeing tour but to fetch visitors from near entrance area to the centre of the park. There isn’t anything to see along the way though there are tons of pandan plants (Pandanus amaryllifolius) growing on both sides of the road and they smelled so nice.
The delicate flesh of this beautiful Lemon and Dill Monkfish is beautifully fragrant with fresh herb and citrus, and generously coated in a Hollandaise blanket, making it a tasty lunch! Happy Friday!
Ingredients (serves 3):
half a large lemon
4 fluffy sprigs Garden Dill + more for garnish
2 litres/8 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc)
a beautiful (about 395-gram/14-ounce) fresh monkfish tail
Dill and Schnapps Hollandaise, warmed, to serve
Cut lemon into slices, and add lemon slices to a large, deep skillet, wide enough to fit the fish. Add Dill sprigs and cover with the water.
Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, and cover with a lid. Allow to boil, for about 10 to 15 minutes, so the broth is fragrant. Season with coarse sea salt and black pepper.
Then, stir in Sauvignon Blanc, and lower the monkfish tail into the fragrant bath. Poach, about 10 to 12 minutes until cooked through.
Lift monkfish tail out of its court-bouillon, and drain before sitting onto serving tray. Drizzle generously with warm Dill and Schnapps Hollandaise, and garnish with reserved Dill sprigs.
Serve Lemon and Dill Monkfish immediately, with more Dill and Schnapps Hollandaise, steamed broccoli and a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc or other crisp white wine.
"Eggs Benedict is the dish that launched a thousand brunches, and for good reason. There is nothing to dislike here, the sourdough muffin, Canadian bacon, gushing yolk and blanket of Hollandaise." Methuselah's Brunch: Eggs Benedict
The genesis of Eggs Benedict is famously difficult to pin down. Mostly what we know is this: it’s been around a while. Invented in the late 19th Century, it’s been a staple of brunch menus across the US ever since. A debate raged through the mid 20th Century over which Benedict to credit with its invention–or inspiration. That it was invented in New York City was never in doubt, but the three…
Started off with a new years day brunch, partly so I could knock out three recipes in one shot...
...and partly so I could get it done and move on with my life.
Fuck brunch.
Never been a fan. Of eating it or cooking it. I go out for breakfast a handful of times per year. BREAKFAST. Not brunch. Don't be that person. That "bottomless mimosa" person who hangs around for 2 hours getting hammered and then doesn't tip.
I had one very short stint working as a cook in a breakfast place, and I would never do it again.
That said, I do love me an eggs benny now and then.
I don't think I've ever made this at home before this morning, and boy is it not worth the effort. Doesn't help that I added a breakfast potato recipe to the roster, even though it's not part of The Book. So that added an extra component to my wonderful time management fuckery.
The English muffins were a little dry, but my sauce didn't split and my bacon was spot on. In the future, I would lessen my load by prepping the potatoes the day before.
I fucking hate clarifying butter. So I would also do that in advance. Or buy it clarified, but I wanted to stay authentic to the recipe method.
Meaning I also beat this sauce by hand. If I ever redo this recipe in the future, my immersion blender will be my best friend. I find it wholly unnecessary to seive hollandaise, but I'm not the boss here.
Easy peasy. Not even a real recipe as much as just a paragraph on how to do it right. Not my first time baking bacon, and it won't be my last.
| Eggs Benedict |
Taste is a 4 out of 5. If the English muffins were better, it could be a 5.
Difficulty was a 4 out of 5. Too many moving parts to be dealing with in the morning.
Total time with prep was about an hour and a half
Here's a bonus pic right before I finished plating. Purely to show off my beautifully shiny poached eggs.
Eggs Royale with Salmon is a delicious brunch dish that will not disappoint. Perfectly poached eggs sit atop smoked salmon and toasted English muffins, all topped with a rich and creamy hollandaise sauce.
The unpleasant odour forced us back into the ship’s interior, just in time for breakfast at the Main Dining Room. Was rather surprised that we were the first in the queue. Guessed the rest went with the all-you-can-eat buffet at Windjammer Marketplace. The waiter recommended their Danish pastries and croissants, so we got a plate of it. Pretty decent tasting if you asked me, will be better if warmed up first. Colleague had the Seasonal Fruit Plate and The Classic Benedict – two poached eggs, bacons and creamy hollandaise sauce on toasted English muffins.
Me, I opted for the Express Breakfast with two glossy scrambled eggs, not crispy at all bacons, very tough smoked sausage links, crispy hash brown and half a grilled tomato. Other than the bacons and sausages, I enjoyed the other three items.
Roommate wanted to go Windjammer Marketplace for the Milk and Yogurt. I had the peach flavoured yogurt and it tasted horrible, nothing like the fruit at all. Gotten the same answer from my colleague too. Pineapple one fared a little better but it won’t topple Meji yogurt from my list.
Tea Leaf Egg or Tea Egg (茶叶蛋) wasn’t prepared the correct way. Putting the whole eggs intact in the tea leaves soup did almost nothing for the eggs. The correct method is to boil the eggs first in water then crack the shell and boil/soak them in tea. Cracks in the shell allows the tea mixture to seep in creating the marble-like patterns and imparting the flavours. Sorry, I didn’t show you the deshelled egg as the shell was stuck to the egg white so there were many holes and “craters” trying to peel it. :(