INGREDIENTS:
• 6 large egg yolks
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ cups melted organic butter (or melted bacon fat or duck fat)
• ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (or more to taste)
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
PROTEIN BUN
• 3 eggs, separated
• ½ cup Jay Robb’s unflavored egg white protein (or whey protein)
• ½ teaspoon fresh dill or other herb of your choice
ADDITIONS
• 6 ham (or prosciutto) slices
• 12 large eggs
DIRECTIONS:
1. To make the buns: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Separate the eggs (save the yolks in another bowl), and whip the whites for a few minutes until very stiff (I use a stand mixer on high for a few minutes).
3. Gently mix the protein powder and herbs into the egg whites.
4. Slowly fold the egg yolks into the whites, making sure the whites don’t “fall” (collapse back into liquid).
5. Grease a cookie sheet with coconut oil spray and place mounds of the egg white mixture about the size of a hamburger bun onto the sheet.
6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Let completely cool before cutting, or the buns will “fall.”
8. To make hollandaise sauce: In the bottom of a double boiler or in a medium-sized saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer over high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Put egg yolks, lemon juice, and mustard in the top section of the double boiler or in a round-bottomed medium bowl and set over simmering water. Whisk the yolk mixture to blend.
9. Whisking constantly, add butter to the yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream (it should take about 90 seconds). Cook sauce, whisking, until it reaches 140 degrees F (using a candy thermometer), then adjust heat to maintain temperature (remove from simmering water if necessary). Add salt, pepper, and cayenne and continue whisking until thick (it will take about 3 minutes). Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from the stove and set aside.
10. Put 2 bun halves on each plate and top with ham.
11. To poach eggs: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a 12-inch-wide pan. Lower the heat so that small bubbles form on the bottom of the pan and break to the surface only occasionally. Crack eggs into water one at a time, holding shells close to the water’s surface and letting eggs slide out gently. Poach eggs in 2 batches to keep them from crowding for 3 to 4 minutes for soft-cooked eggs. Lift eggs out with a slotted spoon, pat dry with a paper towel, and place 1 egg on each slice of ham.
12. Top each egg with 2 to 3 tablespoons of hollandaise sauce. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (PER POPOVER)
TRADITIONAL EGGS BENEDICT = 1020 CALORIES, 57G FAT, 43G PROTEIN, 80G CARBS, 6G FIBER
“HEALTHIFIED” EGGS BENEDICT = 716 CALORIES, 65.4G FAT, 29.4G PROTEIN, 3.5G CARBS, 0.6G FIBER (82% FAT, 16% PROTEIN, 2% CARBS)
