Eggs hussarde is an old Creole favorite, said Victoria Abbott Riccardi in Saveur, that was probably named after 15th-century Hungarian mercenaries known as hussars, “who often wore tomato red uniforms.” At our sugarcane farm in Louisiana, this brunch dish is always served at harvest time. Tasso is available from Cajun Grocer (888-272-9347; www.cajungrocer.com) at $5.75 per pound.
Recipe of the week
Eggs Hussarde
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(Poached Eggs With Tasso and Hollandaise Sauce)
11 tbsp butter, melted
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 egg yolks
Pinch of cayenne
White distilled vinegar
8 eggs
4 English muffins, split and lightly toasted
24 1/4-inch-thick slices tasso (Cajun-style smoked pork, about 1 lb)
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into 8 thick slices
Heat 1 tbsp butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add wine, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; strain through sieve. Set divinity sauce aside.
Pour water into medium saucepan to depth of 2 inches. Bring to gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk lemon juice, yolks, 2 tbsp water together in heatproof bowl until frothy. Nestle bowl over simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until pale yellow and thickened, 2–3 minutes. Remove bowl from heat, slowly drizzle in remaining butter in thin
stream, whisking constantly, to form thick hollandaise sauce. Whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover to keep sauce warm.
Fill large tall pot with at least 6 inches of poaching liquid (for every 4 cups of water, add 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup salt). Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-high to maintain very gentle boil. Quickly crack each egg into pot while holding hands about 3 inches above the water. Poach eggs, without stirring, until yolks are set but still runny in middle, 4-1/2 –5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer eggs to paper towel–lined plate; trim off trailing egg whites. Set oven rack 4 inches from broiler; preheat. Put
muffin halves on baking sheet, cut side up. Arrange 3 slices of tasso on each, drizzle tasso with divinity sauce, top each with tomato slice. Broil until tomatoes are bubbly, 3–4 minutes. Divide muffin halves between plates, top each with poached egg, and spoon hollandaise over top. Serves 4.
