Latke & Prosciutto Benedict

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 45 minutes

Benedicts are super indulgent and delicious menu items; what’s not to like about an egg smothered in a sauce made of mostly butter?! An English muffin, that’s what! I’ve never understood why we put such a tasty dish on top of such an underwhelming piece of bread. In this recipe, I ditch the English muffins for fresh and crispy latkes, or potato pancakes. If we’re doing indulgent we might as well go all in! In continuing to flip tradition the bird, I top these latkes with sunny side up eggs because who has the patience for poaching. You still get those ooey-gooey yolks without the hassle. Serve these babies for breakfast, brunch, or lunch! Shout out to my home girl Sam for advice on the latkes!

Latke Ingredients:

• 2 large baking potatoes

• 1 medium yellow onion

• 1 egg

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper

• All-purpose flour (optional)

• Neutral oil for frying

Hollandaise Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

• Kosher salt

• Smoked paprika

Toppings:

• 8 slices of proscuitto di Parma

• 8 eggs

• Fresh parsley

• Cayenne pepper

• Parmesan cheese

Special Equipment:

• Double boiler (a bowl on top of a small pot of water works fine)

• Box grater

• Clean dish towel

Directions

Step One:

Preheat oven to 200º. We’re only using this for warming.

Step Two:

Peel potatoes. Using a box grater, grate potatoes directly into a bowl of cold water. Let sit 5 minutes to help remove starches. Drain and lay on a clean dish towel, pat dry with paper towels.

Step Three:

Grate enough onion to have a 2:1 potato to onion ratio. Amount will vary depending on the size of your potatoes. Add grated onion to drying potato. Wrap tightly with clean dish towel and ring out as much moisture as possible.

Step Four:

Heat about 1/2 inch of frying oil (canola, vegetable, peanut, etc) in a large skillet over medium heat. You only need enough to come about half way up each latke.

Step Five:

Combine potato and onion with 1 egg, season to taste with salt and pepper. Mixture should be just wet enough to easily form a patty. If mixture is too wet add a scoop of flour to help bind.

Note: To test your seasoning, always make a test patty. Once your oil is up to temp, take a small scoop of latke mixture and cook fully. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed!

Step Six:

Form mixture into patties about 1/2 inch thick and the size of your palm, about 8 total patties. Once oil is shimmering and hot, fry each latke until golden brown on each side. Do not over crowd your pan, 2-3 latkes at a time.

Drain latke onto a paper towel. Place latkes on a wire rack and keep warm in preheated oven.

Step Seven:

Bring water in double boiler to a low simmer. Add 4 egg yolks and slowly drizzle in melted butter, whisking constantly and vigorously. Continue to whisk until all butter is incorporated and mixture has become thick and pale yellow. Whisk in lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of smoked paprika. Season with kosher salt. Remove from heat and cover.

Pro Tip: If your sauce gets too thick, take a scoop of the hot water from the boiler and whisk in to thin.

Step Eight:

Cook eggs whichever style you like! For sunny side up, heat a small skillet over low heat. Grease skillet with a small amount of olive oil. Crack egg directly into oil, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes or until whites are set.

Step Nine:

Assemble! Top each latke with a slice of prosciutto and one egg. Drizzle generously with hollandaise sauce (don’t forget that pro tip if your sauce has thickened a bit). Finish with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and freshly chopped parsley! Enjoy!

Check out this beautiful Galentine’s Day brunch where I made this benedict. The customer wanted sourdough instead of latkes but they were still picture perfect!

A Note on Seasoning

Each element of this dish has salt in it, especially the prosciutto. Keep final flavor in mind when seasoning each individual portion. A perfectly salted element may add to an overly salty final product. Hold back and add at the end if needed.