February 02

 Pietro Francesco Orsini's Birthday
 
Pietro Orsini was seventy-six years old when he was elected Pope and governed the Roman Catholic Church from 1724 to 1730. He tried to put a stop to the decadent lifestyles of the Italian priesthood awas unsparing in his efforts to abolish any semblance of luxury or worldly pomp among the cardinals. He also abolished the lottery in Rome. Unfortunately, according to Cardinal Lambertini (later Pope Benedict XIV), he "did not have any idea about how to rule".

The aged pontiff's reign can be remembered for four accomplishments. Benedict cracked down on the Roman lotteries; forbade the cardinals to wear wigs; repealed the world wide smoking ban set by Pope Urban VIII, and lived on a diet of poached eggs and dry toast because of his chronic digestive problems. Since a poached egg and dry toast diet was rather bland, the eggs were often served with a lemon sauce. The lemon-sauced egg on toast became known as Eggs Benedict.

 		  

  Bust of Pope Benedict XIII

 
The addition of ham, the substitution of an English muffin, and the sliced truf­fle garnish were later embellishments. Oscar of the Waldorf claimed to have created the final assemblage as part of an anti-hangover cure for Samuel Benedict, a New York playboy. Oscar, remembering the antispasmodic powers of poached eggs, cream sauce, and toast on the playboy's namesake, transformed an elderly pope's dietary staple to the ubiquitous staple of the classic brunch. Several other people named Benedict have taken credit for either inventing or inspiring this recipe,  including Commodore  E. C. Benedict (a close friend of Grover Cleveland), a Mrs. LeGrand Benedict,   a distant relation of the Commodore's, and Lemual Benedict, a New York stockbroker. Their claims are false.

So let's celebrate the Pope's birthday with the original version of Eggs Benedict/
 

Eggs Benedict
(Papal Version without Ham)

Ingredients
 
4 egg yolks
3&1/2 TB lemon juice
1 pinch ground white pepper
1 cup butter, melted
! TB water
1/4 tap salt 		4 English muffins, split
2 TB butter, softened



 

Instructions
 
  1. Fill the bottom of a double boiler part-way with water. Make sure that water does not touch the top pan.
    Bring water to a gentle simmer. In the top of the double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice,
    white pepper, and 1 tablespoon water.
  2. Add the melted butter to egg yolk mixture 1 or 2 TBat a time while whisking yolks constantly.
    If hollandaise begins to get too thick, add a teaspoon or two of hot water. Continue whisking until all butter
     is incorporated. Whisk in salt, then remove from heat. Place a lid on pan to keep sauce warm.
  3. Preheat oven on broiler setting.
  4. Fill a large saucepan with 3 inches of water. Bring water to a gentle simmer, then add vinegar. Carefully
    break eggs into simmering water, and allow to cook for 2&1/2 to 3 minutes. (Yolks should still be soft in center.)
    Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set on a warm plate.
  5. While eggs are poaching, brown the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast the English muffins
    on a baking sheet under the broiler.
  6. Spread toasted muffins with softened butter, a followed by one poached egg. Place 2 muffins on each plate and
    drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Serve immediately.
* 

© 2011 Gordon Nary and Tyler Stokes