Peter Gordon - Eating Well Everyday

Apologies for this long recipe but I thought you should learn to make hollandaise sauce, which is easier than you think!

FOR 4

150 g butter, melted and kept warm in a small jug at the back of the stove

3 tbsp lemon juice

10 eggs

1tbsp hot water

2 litres water

100 ml white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, for poaching

34 large potatoes (about 900 g)

1 handful picked flat parsley

3 tbsp snipped chives

salt and freshly ground black pepper

butter or oil, to fry

8 rashers bacon

1.Preheat oven to 100C.

2.First make the hollandaise. Make sure the butter is warm. Choose a metal bowl that will fit inside a slightly smaller diameter saucepan and bring 3 cm of water to a rapid simmer its important that the bottom of the bowl doesnt touch the water as it could curdle the sauce.

3.Place the lemon juice, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk in the bowl.

4.Whisk the egg mixture in the bowl over the simmering water you can set it at a gentle boil so long as you whisk it continuously.

5.Once the egg begins to thicken, resembling lightly whipped cream, take the saucepan off the heat and then very slowly drizzle in the warm butter, whisking continuously until it has all been emulsified. Lastly, whisk in 1 tbsp very hot water, which will help stabilize it.

6.Keep covered in a warm place while you finish the dish.

7.Fill a deep pot with at least 2 litres of water and bring to the boil. Add 100 ml white vinegar or cider vinegar per 2 litres water, put the lid on and keep at a simmer. (Note: never add salt when poaching eggs.)

8.Peel the potatoes and grate on a coarse grater, squeezing out as much liquid as you can and mix potato with the parsley and half the chives. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into four.

9.Heat a pan with a little butter or oil over moderate heat. Press each mound of potato, which should be smaller than a saucer, firmly into the pan to keep the rsti tight. Cook until golden, then carefully flip over and cook on the other side. If not cooked through when golden they can be finished in the oven.

10.Grill or fry the bacon and keep warm in the oven.

11.To poach the eggs, bring the pot of water back to a gentle boil and move the pot just off centre on the element. Give the water a stir to create a gentle whirlpool, then crack an egg into a cup and gently drop it into the water. Cook the remaining eggs the same way, working quite quickly so all the eggs are cooked to the same degree they take around 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs to a warm shallow dish.

12.To serve, sit a rsti on a warmed plate, lay the bacon across and sit two eggs on top. Give the hollandaise a gentle whisk then spoon it over and sprinkle with the reserved chives.