RECIPE: Summer days call for a soft life

No more alarms blaring in the morning for your cue to get up and head to work. We are officially on holiday, Mzansi! And the order of the season? A soft life, of course.

According to the Urban Dictionary, living the soft life means, “a life that is filled with ease and comfort.”

You cannot get any softer than an eggs benedict with some salmon and a fruity but boozy granita. Well, head chef at the Park Inn by Radisson, Tharwat Londt, has just the recipe for you. The only way we are getting out of bed is to make this luxurious breakfast.

Ingredients

Smoked salmon benedict

You will need an English muffin

Some smoked salmon

Fresh wild rocket

2 eggs, the freshest possible

Spirit vinegar

Hollandaise sauce

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon of cold water

120g butter melted and clarified

Pinch of salt

1 table spoon fresh lemon juice

Method

Hollandaise sauce

1. In a medium heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a large saucepan filled with 5cm of simmering water, whisk the egg yolks with the cold water and salt until warm to the touch. Slowly drizzle in half of the melted butter in a thin stream, whisking constantly until incorporated.
2. Continue whisking in the melted butter until the sauce is thick and emulsified. Whisk in the lemon juice and set aside.
3. (For béarnaise, use white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice and add some chopped fresh tarragon)

Eggs benedict

1. Fill a medium sized saucepan with about 10cm of water and bring to the boil, then drop it down to a gentle simmer and add 1 tablespoon of spirit vinegar, the vinegar helps to coagulate the egg white and hold that “perfect” poached egg shape.
2. If possible, crack the eggs into their own ramekins to make things a little easier to place them into the water and you will be able to remove any bits of shell that might fall into the egg
3. Next, stir the water to create a vortex, then gently drop your eggs into the middle of the whirlpool, this helps to form “the white jacket” around the egg yolk. Leave these to poach until your desired consistency, about 3 ½ minutes for soft poached.
4. While that is poaching, cut the muffin in half like a burger bun and toast.
5. Place muffin on a plate and top with fresh rocket and salmon.
6. When your eggs are ready, using a slotted spoon gently lift them out of the water and allow the excess water to drip off, then gently place the egg on top of the muffin
7. Now top with hollandaise and season with fresh cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt.
8. Enjoy!

Top off with a boozy granita

With rising temperatures, you need something to cool you off. Treat yourself with a signature Spier chardonnay/pinot noir granita.

The hardest part is simply remembering to make the granita a day ahead, as it needs to spend at least overnight in the freezer.

Ingredients

250 ml (1 cup) Chardonnay/Pinot Noir

1/2 cup regular white sugar

4 sprigs thyme

250 g fresh strawberries, stalks/hulls removed

A squirt of fresh lemon juice

Method

1. Place half the wine in a small saucepan with the sugar and thyme. Heat to the beginning of a simmer, then remove the pan from the heat, swirling until the sugar has dissolved.
2. In a blender, add the remaining wine, strawberries and lemon juice. Remove the thyme sprigs from the hot syrup mixture, then add the syrup to the blender. Blend on high speed to a very smooth pulp.
3. Transfer to a wide plastic container, cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate overnight (or longer, but not less than 8 hours). The granita will never freeze completely due to the alcohol and sugar content.
4. At serving time, quickly use a fork to scrape the granita into the desired number of glasses.