With gleeful excitement over the release of our new book, The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom, we’ll be giving you a sneak-peek of some of our favorite recipes. Like what you see? You can order The Whole30 using one of the links at the bottom of the page, and start enjoying the tasty flavors of more than 100 brand-new, Whole30 compatible recipes when your book arrives. Finally, score some gorgeous PDFs of these recipes by subscribing to Wholesome, our free Whole30 newsletter. Okay, enough talking. Let’s kick things off with our Seared Salmon Benedict!
Seared Salmon Benedict
From The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom. Serves 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
FOR THE SALMON
2 salmon fillets (5 ounces each), skin removed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons cooking fat
2 large eggs, poached
½ cup hollandaise (see below)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
FOR THE POACHED EGGS
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, large
PREHEAT the oven to 350°F.
FILL a large skillet with 2 to 3 inches of water and add the vinegar and salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. While waiting for the water to boil, carefully crack each egg into two separate small bowls.
SEASON both sides of salmon evenly with the salt and pepper. In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the cooking fat over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the fat is very hot, add the salmon fillets skinned-side down. Sear the salmon until you see the edges start to pull away from the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Slide a metal spatula under each fillet and turn. (If they are ready, they will come off with little effort, so don’t rush this step! If the fillets don’t readily release, allow another minute before turning them over.)
TRANSFER the pan to the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until white “curd” protein starts to show on the sides of the salmon. Check often, as thinner salmon will cook faster. Transfer the cooked salmon to a plate.
WHILE the salmon is baking, gently pour each egg into the boiling water. (Add more water if necessary to bring it back up to the 2-3 inch mark.) As soon as all of the eggs are in the pan, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 3 minutes (for very soft yolks), or 5 minutes (for firm yolks).
REMOVE the cooked eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon, allowing any excess water to drain. Set aside until you remove the salmon from the oven.
PLACE the poached eggs over the salmon fillets and drizzle evenly with the hollandaise. Top with a dash or two of cayenne pepper and black pepper.
Hollandaise
From The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom. Serves 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
1½ cups clarified unsalted butter or ghee
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
IN a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter or ghee until warm but not hot or bubbling.
COMBINE the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper (if you like) in a food processor or blender and pulse 10 to 15 times to combine. Slowly drizzle in the warm butter or ghee while mixing on low speed, until the sauce emulsifies and thickens. If the sauce becomes too thick, blend in a tablespoon of warm water.
SERVE the sauce immediately, or hold covered in a small saucepan on the lowest heat setting for up to an hour. Make your hollandaise fresh every time you serve it, as it doesn’t store well in the refrigerator.
Header photo credit: Stephanie Gaudreau
Recipe photo credit: Alexandra Grablewski
