Eggs Royale with Cold Smoked Trout & Yuzu Hollandaise

To make the hollandaise, add cold water, just 2-3cm, to a heavy-based pan, on a low heat and bring up to a very gentle simmer. Set a large, heatproof glass bowl over the pan, making sure the bowl doesn’t come into contact with the water, avoid using a metal bowl.

Add the egg yolks and yuzu juice, along with zest if you have a real yuzu, to the bowl, season with a pinch of our smoked salt and freshly ground black pepper, and whisk together for a couple of minutes, over a low heat, until it starts to thicken a little. Then begin to add the melted butter, a teaspoon at a time at first, increasing to a steady trickle after the first few additions, whisking continuously. Keep adding the butter little by little until it’s all incorporated. Remove the bowl from the pan and rest on the work surface every now and then as you whisk to cool the sauce a little before returning to rest above the pan. Once all the butter is mixed you’ll have a sauce like mayonnaise. At this point, take a couple of tbsps of the hot water from the pan below the bowl, and whisk into the sauce until it’s the consistency of thick pouring cream. Turn off your heat, but leave the pan and bowl on the hob, the residual heat will keep your sauce warm.

Toast the muffins, butter and keep warm.

To poach the eggs, take your largest, deepest frying pan and fill it with boiling water. Over a high heat, bring it back to the boil, then reduce the heat so the water stays at a very gentle simmer, barely rolling. Once the temperature has settled, crack an egg into a glass, and pour into the water as close as possible to the surface. Try to slide the egg in as gently as possible. Repeat with the others, cook 4 in the first batch, then the second 4, to time them more accurately. Cook the eggs to your taste, 2 minutes for very soft, up to 4 minutes for firm.

To serve, put an egg on each half of a toasted muffin. Sprinkle with a little of our smoked salt and black pepper, and arrange the slices of cold smoked trout on top. Drizzle over a little hollandaise and a sprinkle of freshly chopped chives.

If you’re cooking the eggs in batches, get half your guests eating as soon as the first lot are ready while you poach the rest of the eggs, to avoid cold poached eggs, which can be less than ideal. Enjoy!