Cajun Eggs Benedict with Bayou Red Potatoes

If you have been following along for a while now, you know that Hubby and I love craft fairs and festivals in little towns. We call an ag-town home, surrounded by orchards and dairy farms. It’s the biggest little ag-town around and a stone’s throw from some really small western towns.

Every year on Thanksgiving Weekend, we drive over to the neighboring town of Oakdale, the Cowboy Capital of the world. We shop their Cowboy Christmas Craft Fair. It’s a great way to add a few new decorations, get unique gifts for family and support local artists. Besides, you never know what you might find.

On the way home, with treasures in hand, Hubby and I decided to stop for breakfast. Hubby spotted a restaurant at the end of a little shopping center called Huckleberry’s. Although we had never eaten there before, it sounded like a good place for breakfast. I was thinking Huckleberries, as in the berry. Great for pancakes with Huckleberry Syrup and Yellowstone Lodge Huckleberry Ice Cream.

My assumption was wrong.  Huckleberry’s was all about Huck Finn and the Mighty Mississippi. And the food was awesome! Naturally, I had to try their Cajun Eggs Benedict. It’s served on thick slices of French Bread, topped with a thick slice of tomato, a poached egg, Hollandaise Sauce and Cajun Sausage. You get a choice of Country Fries, Red Potato or Bayou Potatoes. Their Bayou Potatoes are fried red potatoes with red onion and diced green bell peppers.

The next morning, as Hubby and I strolled through the grocery store, I decided to make my own Cajun Eggs Benedict. I chose English Muffins over the French Bread because we love buttery muffins with breakfast. As for the tomato, that might be something to add in the summer with my own home-grown. Grocery Store tomatoes lack that true tomato flavor, so why bother? I made a few other changes, such as adding Tabasco Sauce to my Hollandaise Sauce for extra kick and skipping the green bell peppers in the potatoes. Since our garden is still putting out some lovely peppers, I went with some Cayenne and Jalapeno Peppers instead.

Let me tell you, it was an awesome breakfast. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Cajun Eggs Benedict with Bayou Red Potatoes
Bayou Red Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs Small Red Potatoes
2 small Cayenne Peppers, fresh
2 small Jalapeno Peppers, fresh
1/4 Red Onion
Bacon Grease or Lard as needed
Kosher Salt to taste
Cracked Pepper to taste

Bayou Red Potatoes: Pierce each potato with a sharp knife, making a small slit. Arrange potatoes in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 10 minutes or until potatoes are just cooked.

While the potatoes are cooking in the microwave, dice the peppers and onions. Set aside.
Once the potatoes have pre-cooked in the microwave, transfer to a cutting board. Cut potatoes into bite-size quarters.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until almost smoking. Add bacon grease, swirl to coat the hot pan in oil. Add the potatoes, peppers and onions to the hot pan. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Fry over medium heat, stirring as needed, scraping up any little brown bits. Cook until hot and crisp, about 10 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Cajun Eggs Benedict
4 Andouille Cajun Sausage
2 Sourdough English Muffins
1 Green Onion
4 Eggs

Cajun Eggs Benedict: Place the sausage in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of water and let sausages steam until cooked through and most of the water has cooked away, about 15 to 20 minutes. Rotate sausages about every 5 minutes for even cooking. Once the water is nearly gone, slice sausages lengthwise and place in the pan cut side down to brown. Keep warm until ready to serve.

While the sausage is cooking, split the muffins and toast lightly. Once toasted, butter and place in a warm oven until ready to assemble.

Cut the green onion, set aside.

Spray the top of a poaching pan with cooking spray and fill the lower pan with water. Bring to a boil, lower heat. Crack eggs, one at a time, into a small ramekin and slide egg into the poaching cup. Cover and let eggs cook until the whites are set while the yolks are still soft and runny.

While the eggs are poaching, make the Hollandaise Sauce.

Hollandaise Sauce Blender Style
3 Egg Yolks
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 dash Tabasco Sauce or to taste
1/2 cup Butter

Hollandaise Sauce: In the container of a blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and Tabasco sauce. Cover, and blend for about 5 seconds.

Place the butter in a glass measuring cup. Heat butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds, stir, the continue to microwave for another 30 seconds, or until completely melted and hot. Set the blender on high speed, and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream. It should thicken almost immediately. Keep the sauce warm until serving by placing the blender container in a pan of simmering hot water.

To Assemble: Place half of an English Muffin on four individual plates. Top each muffin with a poached egg. Top egg with Hollandaise Sauce, then sprinkle with green onion. Place a few Cajun Sausage halves with the poached egg.

Serve with a nice helping of Bayou Red Potatoes.