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Poached Eggs and Smoked Salmon in Dill Crepes with Beurre Blanc


A variation on the classic Benedict

A great brunch meal. Serve with skillet potatoes or light salad.

Dill Crepes:

Combine the flour with the salt and pepper. Beat together the egg, egg yolk, milk, water, lemon rind, and dill. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine well. Batter will have consistency of heavy cream. Brush a crepe pan (7” across the bottom) lightly with corn oil. Heat until quite hot but not smoking. Pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter and quickly swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Cook until surface bubble ans the bottom is lightly browned and can be easily lifted from the pan. Turn the crepe with a spatula and brown on the other side. Continue with the rest of the batter.

Buerre Blanc:

In a 3-quart saucepan, reduce the white wine, vinegar, and the shallots so that only 2 tablespoons of liquid remain. Add the cream and continue to reduce to 1 1/2 cups (about 15 minutes). Be careful of overreducing or the sauce will eventually separate into butter floating on cream. (If a perfectly smooth sauce is desired, strain to remove shallots.) Add the salt and pepper. The recipe can be made ahead to this point and held or refrigerated until serving. When ready to serve, gently reheat and whisk in the softened butter, bit by bit, while stirring constantly. Keep warm in a double boiler or bowl over pot of boiling water.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375°. Warm the sauce and have ready a large pot filled with 4” of simmering water and the 1/4 cup vinegar. Put the crepes, lighter side up, on a baking sheet. Top each with 1/2 ounce of smoked salmon. Crack the eggs into the simmering water and poach to taste (2-4 minutes). Transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to paper toweling to drain and then set each egg in the center of the crepe. Fold opposite sides of the crepe over so that they meet in hte middle. Reheat in the oven 3-4 minutes. Transfer to warm individual plates. Pour 2 ounces of the beurre blanc over each portion and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill. Serve at once.

Variations:

  • garnish with dab of caviar

  • serve over a bed of cappellini tossed with butter, pepper, minced dill, and slivers of smoked salmon

By Alex Gibbons

Ingredients
6 servings

  • Dill Crepes
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 2 tablespoons miced dill
  • corn oil
  • Beurre Blanc
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1/3 cup minced shallots
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 pound butter, softened
  • Assembly
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 3 ounces very thinly sliced smoked salmon
  • 6 eggs
  • Sprigs of dill for garnish