Joel Gamoran is a chef, TV host and the author of "Cooking Scrappy." Now, he's also the head chef and founder of Seattle-based Homemade.
"Homemade is a livestream cooking school. It's totally for free. We are live throughout the week. People can sign up, and they can interact with us from all over the world," said Gamoran. "[We've] got incredible stuff coming up for the holidays. Unbelievable dishes all done in under 30 minutes. So, we make it really convenient and snappy."
I enlisted Gamoran's help in making an elevated yet easy-to-execute brunch dish perfect for a holiday get-together.
"During the holidays, there's nothing really going on except gathering. So, brunch is like a moment," said Gamoran of his approach to holiday brunch. "The big thing is no cereal on the menu. Let's do something that's a little elevated. At the same time, it's early. You don't want to do a lot, so you've got to find easy wins that require minimal work in the kitchen but make a big impression."
"We live in Seattle. I thought it would be really cool to make a benedict. Classic bennies, but put a little smoked salmon on there and add some avocado. The avocado is so fatty and creamy. It plays really well, I think, against the salmon. Then, we make a hollandaise from scratch, which just velvets everything and ties it all together into the perfect bite."
Smoked Salmon & Avocado Benedict
Recipe by: Joel Gamoran / Homemade
Ingredients for the Hollandaise:
- 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 6 tablespoons clarified butter
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Chives (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for Smoked Salmon & Avocado Benedict:
- 8 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or distilled vinegar
- 4 whole wheat English muffins, split
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
For the Hollandaise:
- Place the egg yolks in a medium stainless steel bowl, set over (not in) a pot of simmering water.
- Whisk the yolks until pale yellow and fluffy.
- Slowly whisk in the clarified butter, a few tablespoons at a time, until thickened.
- Add cayenne pepper, chives, salt and black pepper.
- Stir to combine.
- Cover and keep in a warm spot until ready to use.
For the Benedict:
- Line a plate with paper towels.
- Fill a medium saucepan halfway with cold water and add the vinegar.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Crack each egg into separate ramekins. Stir the water, then carefully slip a few of the eggs into the water and cook until the whites are set, and the yolk is still runny, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Transfer to a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
- Repeat for the remaining eggs.
- Toast English muffins.
- Using a knife, halve the avocados and remove the pits.
- Using a spoon, remove the avocado flesh. Cut into smaller pieces for easier mashing if desired.
- In a bowl (or on your cutting board), mash the avocado, lemon juice, salt and pepper until the mixture has the consistency of guacamole.
- Spread the avocado on each muffin half. Top with smoked salmon and a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise over the top.
- Eat right away!
