Eggs Benicio

Imagine this:  weather that feels tropical, streets and sidewalks that are uneven and cobbled, a sense of energy in the air everywhere, ornate homes positioned shoulder to shoulder so it seems the shingles can't even breathe...this is New Orleans.  Sadly, this city can be stereotyped in a bad way and some only see it in a negative light.  Those people are missing out!  New Orleans is a place of culture, soul and an artistic heart that beats inspiration.

Why am I talking about it?  Because I've had the pleasure of spending several weekends there with a friend who lived there for a while.  If you know the history of this blog, you will know I'm talking about my dear friend, Erica, who was the original co-"Cooking chick."  I wasn't always 1 Cooking Chick.   I might add, she lived across from Sandra Bullock's house...and John Goodman's...so celeb!!  There is a beautiful brunch place in the Garden District, nearby, called Coulis that we went to several times: http://www.coulisnolas.com/home   Go there!  and when you do, order Eggs Benicio... a melt-in-your-mouth blend of flavors you might not have thought of before.  I recreated the dish tonight.

Eggs Benicio is a lovely layering of Jalapeño Cornbread, Pulled Pork, a Poached Egg and Hollandaise Sauce.  It should have been topped with Green Onions, but I decided to surprise my husband with it last minute (thinking I had all the ingredients because I had made a ridiculous amount of pork in the crock pot the day before), and didn't realize I didn't have any.  

This is how I did it...

I cooked a huge Boston Butt in the crock pot for 8 hours the day before... (in soy sauce, honey, garlic and vegetable oil) served with cooked carrots and cheesy rice.  There was a lot of left over meat!

I made the cornbread by this recipe: Jalapeño Cornbread

The Hollandaise Sauce is here: Hollandaise Sauce

On the plate, you will place a slice of cornbread, cut in half through the middle.  Top with meat, sauce, poached egg, more sauce, and a dusting of Cayenne Pepper.

It is really an easy meal.  If you have the leftover meat, you just warm it up.  The only work that is required is making the cornbread and sauce.  It's not that involved, but appears very fancy.  I turned on a movie for my kids (Tangled) and my husband and I enjoyed this delicious meal alone on the sun porch, by candlelight.  It is an easy-made-fancy breakfast for dinner...and I recommend that you incorporate it into your week's menu.