Portobello Mushroom Eggs Benedict

Hey, guess what? I’m representing Canada in an international Mushroom Masters competition! Exciting, eh?

I like mushrooms because:

-they add umami to a dish, which is the savoury fifth taste, usually characteristic of meat (the other tastes are sweet, salty, bitter and sour).

-they are the only item in the produce aisle with vitamin D.

-they can be an effective substitute for meats thanks to their hearty texture.

-they are a source of selenium and ergothionene, antioxidants that play a role in immunity.

-they are incredibly versatile. I love them with Asian flavours in soups or stir-fries, smothered in rich tomato sauce on pizza or pasta, loaded with garlic and white wine and stuffed into ravioli or piled onto a steak, as a filling for quiches or tarts… the options are endless. -

When challenged with the task of creating a breakfast recipe, I dove straight to softly poached eggs and rich hollandaise sauce. I think the roasted meaty portobello mushroom is a perfect stand-in for the english muffin in eggs benny.

I was right – it was incredible.

Eggs benedict is the choice I will always make on a brunch menu with barely a glance at the other options. It is my favourite. I can’t get enough of the lemony hollandaise sauce, and a perfectly poached egg is my nirvana.

That said, it is not something I make often at home. I prefer to close my eyes, plug my ears, and sing LA LA LA whenever the ingredients of hollandaise sauce are discussed or revealed on paper.

You want to know? Okay.

The primary ingredient is delicious melted butter. The second ingredient is nothing other than rich egg yolks.

Delicious? Yes!

Should you make a big batch and eat it all yourself? YES!

…er, I mean NO!

… shifty eyes…. um… LA LA LA!

I used my favourite version of hollandaise sauce, which is made in the blender. Failproof. And so tasty. I also include my tips for perfect poached eggs.

Roast the mushrooms while you’re making the sauce. Meanwhile, have a pan of water simmering away so you can crack your eggs into it when you’re ready.

The contest is being hosted on Tastespotting.com. To see the recipe, you have to go here! And vote for me while you’re there, peas and thank you.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I was sponsored by Mushrooms Canada and Tastespotting to participate in and help promote this contest, and I received compensation for my recipe and photos.