Herb Week 2015: Salmon Benedict with Crème Fraiche Herb Sauce

Update and Redux: C – It’s herb week. There’s nothing like starting the week with a good breakfast and a wonderful, creamy rich herb sauce. This breakfast was quite fancy … and not all that hard to make.

C – I’m about to be thrown into the fire!

Luke’s busy this week and couldn’t come cook with us. I have to execute the things he suggested we make for brunch week. I have to say I am really reluctant. Scared, even. But, I think I’m ready for the challenge.

I always look forward to Luke cooking with us, I always seem to learn something new … by watching him do it. Not doing it myself.

This time I am on my own. Of course, with lots of assistance from Jim.

Luke, I hope I did well in my execution. It’s funny, Luke and Jim forgot about the crème fraiche sauce and wanted to make a hollandaise sauce. We already did that this week. I didn’t want to it again.

Of course, my sharp memory remembers everything. I remembered I made a huge amount of crème fraiche for a reason. Yup, just for this dish.

This dish was delicious and not as rich as I thought it was going to be. The brioche was airy and light. The eggs were perfectly poached and that yolk with the sauce was an amazingly wonderful creamy combination.

I loved the herbs in the sauce and, of course, the salmon with the herbs on top was incredible. Soft and tender, fresh and blended well with all of the elements in the dish.

Brunch Week: Salmon Benedict with Crème Fraiche-Herb Sauce
Recipe type: Mains
Author:
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 1
Ingredients
Herbed Salmon Gravlax
  • Use our Salmon Gravlax recipe, below.
  • Add ¼ cup each of fresh minced thyme and tarragon on the flesh side, prior to curing.
Benedict
  • Herbed salmon gravlax
  • Brioche bread, ends cut off, cut into 3-inch rounds
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup crème fraiche
  • 1 Tbsp heavy cream, if needed to thin
  • 1 Tbsp thyme, minced
  • 1 Tbsp tarragon, minced
  • ½ lemon, zest and juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Crème Fraiche Herb Sauce
  1. Mix crème fraiche, thyme, tarragon, lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Add some heavy cream if it is too thick. Set aside until ready to serve.
Benedict
  1. Slice the salmon thinly, cut into two pieces. Roll one cut piece tightly, then roll the next one tightly over the first roll. Hold one side tightly while opening and spreading the other end to make a rose shape. Repeat four times. Set aside until ready to serve.
  2. Pan-toast the brioche
  3. Poach eggs.
  4. Drizzle more crème fraiche on the side of the plate, then swiping into a streak.
  5. Top the streak of crème fraiche with salmon roses.
  6. Place pieces of brioche on the serving plate.
  7. Top with poached eggs.
  8. Drizzle crème fraiche over top of the poached eggs.
  9. Sprinkle chives over the top of the eggs.
  10. Serve immediately.
  11. Enjoy!

Salmon Gravlax recipe

I was so amazed at how fresh everything tasted on the plate. It’s not like a hollandaise sauce, which can be rich and heavy. Is was a surprisingly filling, yet lighter than you would expect. Strange, I know, but it’s just a wonderful combination.

Luke, this dish was a success. I am glad I got thrown into the fire and experienced something new.