It is rather easy to get tangled up in the minutiae of eggs benedict.
That”s right — oceans of ink … well, more like very large ponds of ink … have been poured onto pages debating the origins of this brunch favorite. Some argue that a regular at New York”s Delmonico”s in the 1860s, a man by the unlikely name of LeGrand Benedict, inspired the dish. Others give the nod to a Lemuel Benedict, who frequented the Waldorf three decades later. And the New Orleans destination Brennan”s claims the thing, as well.
No one can really be certain, but the argument continues into greater detail, involving great grandchildren in some cases.
Mayme Dyslin, the chef at T.J.”s Downtown Bar and Grill in Lakeport, understands the passion spinning this aimless web of words.
“It”s one of the greatest things ever invented,” she said of eggs benedict. “It combines everything you need into one dish.”
The concept is rather basic: toast up halves of an English muffin and top them with a slice of ham, a poached egg and a dollop of Hollandaise sauce. One can find similarities in the Provencal oeufs benedictine, where egg, sauce balance toast spread with pureed cod, as well as the provincial egg mcmuffin.
Yet the dish is quite versatile. Chefs substitute everything from prosciutto to crab for the pan seared ham. They place it on cornbread, slabs of tangy rye or simple homespun biscuits. They add spinach (kale in certain quarters) or other vegetables.
“It”s the most adaptable breakfast dish I could think of,” Dyslin observed. “There are so many types of benedict and so many stories about them.”
The T.J.”s chef even toys with the Hollandaise. One of the five “mother sauces” in French cuisine, Hollandaise is merely an emulsion of eggs, melted butter and freshly squeezed lemon juice, yet so sophisticated in its bearing and manner. Despite the paunch related to fat and protein, the sauce remains incisive, capable of cutting the weight of other ingredients without overpowering their flavor.
But Dyslin prefers something with a little fight in it, so she adds a dash of Tabasco, some Worcestershire and peppery spice to her version of Hollandaise. The resulting earthy kick helps pick up and expand upon a bittersweet char from the ham, making the whole seem all the more hearty.
Her biggest challenge, given that eggs benedict are a feature of T.J.”s Sunday Champagne brunch buffet, is in preserving the thick yet runny yolk in an egg poached and then placed in a warming tray. She manages, though — undercooking the eggs by a fraction and swapping them out frequently.
For some reason, eggs benedict calls for Champagne. Like oysters rockefeller, it”s a dish that carries an elegant, continental strut, despite the American origins.
Dyslin credits the addition of Hollandaise. “It has that French twist to it,” she said.
Come to think of it, eggs benedict and brunch are a perfect match, if for no other reason than the fact that restaurants reserve the dish for their Sunday best.
T.J.”s has served brunch for just over a year. The surprisingly comfortable family restaurant tucked inside a building that screams “dive bar” draws a steady crowd — although many people still glance at the drab exterior and fail to imagine the gleaming fixtures inside.
“It”s kind of a hidden secret,” Dyslin said.
And that”s kind of like the origins of eggs benedict themselves: a origin forgotten by time, retold by many in dubious guises, yet entirely fulfilling once the tales fade and the actual plate is set in front of you.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
