Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Serves 2
By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
- Smoked pancetta, diced: 100g/3½oz
- Sourdough, cubed: 1 thick slice
- Garlic cloves, crushed: 2
- Fennel seeds, toasted and ground: 1 tsp
- Unsalted butter: 25g/1oz
- Fresh young peas (podded weight): 200g/7oz
- Soft poached free-range eggs (cooked for 3 minutes, then blanched in ice water): 2
For the hollandaise:
- White wine vinegar: 25ml/1fl oz
- Banana shallot, finely chopped: 1
- Blade mace: 1 piece
- Black peppercorns: few
- Fresh thyme, chopped: ½ tsp
- Free-range egg yolks: 3
- Unsalted butter, melted: 250g/9oz
- Lemon, juice only: 1
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To Make the Peas and Pancetta:
- Cook the Pancetta:
- Place the diced pancetta in a frying pan over low-medium heat.
- Fry for about 5 minutes, or until the pancetta is crisp.
- Remove the pancetta from the pan, drain it on kitchen paper, and reserve the rendered fat.
- Toast the Bread Cubes:
- Heat the reserved pancetta fat in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the cubed sourdough bread and crushed garlic cloves.
- Toast until the bread is crisp.
- Add the toasted fennel seeds and set aside.
- Cook the Peas:
- Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.
- Add the unsalted butter and fresh young peas.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the peas are tender.
To Make the Hollandaise:
- Reduce the Vinegar:
- Place the white wine vinegar in a small saucepan over high heat.
- Boil until the vinegar is reduced by half.
- Prepare the Aromatics:
- Place the finely chopped shallot, blade mace, and black peppercorns in a bowl.
- Pour the reduced vinegar over the aromatics and allow to cool slightly.
- Whisk the Yolks:
- Whisk the egg yolks into the vinegar mixture until it reaches the ribbon stage.
- Emulsify the Butter:
- Slowly add the melted butter to the yolk mixture, whisking continuously to emulsify.
- Taste and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon juice.
To Serve:
- Reheat the Eggs:
- Reheat the soft poached eggs in boiling water for 1 minute.
- Assemble the Dish:
- Divide the cooked peas and pancetta between 2 dishes.
- Stir in the toasted bread cubes.
- Top each dish with a reheated poached egg.
- Spoon the hollandaise sauce over the eggs and serve.