Sunday I woke before the first golden threads of morning light kissed the sky. I woke hungry. It had been my intention to make blueberry scones with Double Devon Cream. While Clotted Cream would have been nice, it’s not a type of cream found here in America unless you have the time, the skill and the cow to make it yourself.
Double Devon Cream can be had, and that’s fine by me. 
I like Somerdale Double Devon Cream, sold in jars at World Market. I had my blueberries, my cream, everything I needed for whipping up some beautiful scones except one key ingredient – my desire. While I was hungry, I really wasn’t in the mood for Scones, which is very unusual. What was I hungry for? I wandered about in the kitchen, out to the garage to peer into the second refrigerator, opened cupboards, rummaged around in both pantries. Nothing was striking my fancy. Double Devon Cream made me think of English Muffins, another breakfast item we haven’t had a while. English Muffins make me think about Canadian Bacon . . . and naturally my thoughts drifted to Eggs Benedict. It wasn’t much of a leap to go from traditional Eggs Benedict to one of my favorite San Francisco treats, a Benedict that has no bacon or muffin but rather poached eggs served atop a delicious crab cake. While Crab Cake Benedict sounded awesome, it wasn’t what I wanted at that moment. I didn’t feel like making a mess in the kitchen by making a Hollandaise Sauce from scratch, not to mention frying up perfectly seasoned crab cakes. And I gotta tell you, ever since I started making my own Hollandaise Sauce, the stuff in the package seems slightly chalky, with an after-taste that doesn’t set well with me. Besides, it’s not as though I keep crab meat in the fridge just for those moments when a craving should take hold. Darn, sometimes it doesn’t pay to know how to cook or to taste the difference between fresh and processed foods. Oh well, moving on . . .
This much I knew – I wanted a buttery English Muffin, an egg and some Canadian Bacon. I also wanted tomatoes from my garden and the peppery yet subtle spiciness of tender arugula. Oh, and then there was that hunk of Irish Cheese sweetly serenading me from the deli drawer of my kitchen refrigerator. I’m not sure what possessed me to grab some Kerrygold White Cheddar from the specialty cheese counter. All I know is that I love it. Unlike most cheddar cheeses, this one is less oily than a sharp yellow cheddar cheese and not as creamy in texture than a mild cheddar. It’s slightly harder, with a texture more closely resembling Parmesan Cheese with a nutty delight that reminds me of browned butter. Okay, I had a list in my head of what I wanted. Now it was just a matter of putting everything together in a way my guys would love. While Hubby has no objections to a poached egg, Kiddo won’t touch an egg that isn’t hard-cooked. Besides, I was looking for a way to create an egg sandwich that you could pick up and eat with your hands and not something that required a knife and a fork. My first thought was to scramble the eggs. But then scrambled eggs did not necessary stay between the muffins. Unlike bread that cradles scrambled eggs in a blanket of softness, a toasted English Muffin sought the company of an egg more in keeping with a poached egg. I knew I wanted the egg to have the shape of a poached egg, but cooked through. My first thought was to crack eggs into muffin tins and bake them. But I didn’t want the eggs to brown or get crisp around the edge. My jumbo muffin tin was too big to suit my needs, the regular tin wasn’t right and the mini tin was just too small. Baking was out. Steaming was better. That’s when the light came on – my egg poacher would be perfect. It would give me the shape I was looking for, with the egg cooked slowly, like an omelette.
The results were perfect. My recipe is per sandwich. You can adjust as needed. Hope you give it a try. The best compliment for my egg sandwich was when Kiddo pointed out it was so good he didn’t want to drown it in ketchup. Yeah, that’s saying something!
Egg Muffin Sandwich
1 Egg, slightly beaten
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 Slices Canadian Bacon
1 Roma Tomato, sliced
Handful of baby Arugula leaves, torn
¼ Cup Grated Irish White Cheddar
1 Sourdough English Muffin, split
2 Tablespoons Butter, soft
Fill bottom of egg poaching pan with about an inch or so of water. Place poacher over simmering water. Brush with just a little butter. Cover and let pan warm.
In a small measuring cup with pour spout lightly beat egg with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour egg into poaching cup.
If only making 1 sandwich, place a slice of Canadian Bacon into two of the poaching cups to warm. If making more than 1 sandwich, place bacon in a small skillet with a splash of water and warm, covered, over low heat while the eggs cook.
Cover egg in poacher and let steam cook until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Check egg. If center is still runny, lift egg slightly and let runny egg slip under the set portion of the egg to continue cooking. It should be the consistency of an omelet.
Slice Roma tomatoes and set aside. Tear Arugula leaves and set aside.
Grate White Cheddar and set aside until ready to use. (Pick a semi-hard Irish cheese. It has a beautiful, nutty, buttery flavor that adds to the sandwich beautifully).
Split English Muffin and toast until lightly golden. While the muffin halves are still warm, slather with plenty of soft, creamy butter. Top one half of the muffin with tomato slices, followed by the Arugula.
Once the egg is cooked through and the bacon warmed, assemble the sandwich. Place a slice of bacon over the vegetables. Next place the egg over the bacon, followed by another slice of bacon. Top everything with a big handful of the shredded cheese, then the top of the muffin.
For easy in handling the sandwich, if desired cut in half. Enjoy!
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