Southwestern Eggs Benedict

Cooking Instructions

For the Biscuits:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cilantro in a large bowl and mix well. Add the cheese, mixing with your hands until it is evenly distributed. Add the butter, rubbing it into the flour with your hands until the butter is pea sized. Add the buttermilk and milk, then stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over-mix.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a square, about 1 inch thick. Fold 1/3 over, then the other 1/3 over, as if folding a letter. Repeat by rolling the dough out and folding in thirds one more time, and then roll it out one final time to a thickness of about an inch.
4. Use a 3-inch cutter to make 8 biscuits. Take care not to twist the cutter when pressing down or they won’t rise very well. Discard any remaining dough scraps.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cut biscuits on the pan, brush the tops with buttermilk.
6. Bake the biscuits until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes, turning the baking sheet once for even browning as needed.

For the Hollandaise:

1. Combine egg yolks with the lime zest, lime juice and cayenne in the blender and blend until smooth, about 10 seconds.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave until bubbling hot. With the blender running, pour the hot melted butter into the eggs in a very slow stream until well incorporated and fluffy.

For the Eggs Benedict:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with some oil just to grease the pan. Heat the Canadian bacon slices in batches for 2-3 minutes per side.
2. Slice each biscuit in half. Lay the sliced biscuits center-up on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until lightly brown, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Serve each biscuit with 2 slices of Canadian bacon, slices of avocado and a poached egg on top. Drizzle with hollandaise sauce, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

Notes

1. Biscuits can be made up to 2 days before and stored in a covered container at room temperature, or can be made ahead and frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before. Freeze extra cooked biscuits.
2. Hollandaise sauce cannot be reheated without breaking, but if you do have extra sauce left over, chill in a covered container in the refrigerator. To use, bring to room temperature on the counter, and then use as spread on sandwiches or rolls.
3. You can poach eggs ahead of time to make assembly of this dish easier. Poach eggs one at a time in just barely simmering water for about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a container filled with cold water. Repeat with the remaining eggs, transferring them all to the cold water bath. Cover and refrigerate the eggs until you need them, up to 2 days. To serve, bring a shallow pan of water to just barely simmering. Add the eggs carefully with a slotted spoon and turn the heat off. Let the eggs sit in the hot water bath for a few minutes to reheat.