Holiday brunch ideas

Here are some holiday brunch ideas from Angie Quaale.

Blender Hollandaise

3 egg yolks

¼ tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 dash hot sauce

½ cup salted butter

In the container of a blender or small processor, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Cover, and blend for about 5 seconds.

Place the butter in a glass measuring cup. Heat butter in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until

completely melted and hot. Set the blender on high speed, and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream. It should thicken almost immediately. Keep the sauce warm until serving by placing the blender container in a pan of hot tap water.

Savoury Crepes

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1 ½  cups whole milk, divided use

¼  teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus whole butter for cooking crepes

Whisk together the flour, eggs, ½  cup milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Continue whisking until you have a smooth batter. Add the remaining cup of milk and stir well to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill the batter for at least 30 minutes or several hours.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Just before you are ready to make the crepes, whisk in the melted butter. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it is too thick, add milk slowly while whisking constantly until it is the right texture.

Heat a 9-inch non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan or spray with vegetable spray and heat the pan until a drop of water “dances” across the surface.

Using a ladle, pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan. Hold the pan with 1 hand and pour the batter in with the other. Swirl the pan while pouring so that the batter covers the pan thinly and evenly for each crepe. Pour off any excess batter. Try not to leave any holes. After the first few crepes you will know exactly how much batter your pan will hold.

Cook the crepe over medium-high heat until the edges turn brown, about 15 seconds. Flip the crepe using a small spatula and your fingers. Cook on the second side for another 10 to 15 seconds. The second side will not be as evenly browned as the first side. Remove the pan from the heat and invert it over a warm plate to stack the crepes. Keep warm until ready to use. Continue making crepes with remaining batter, adjusting the heat as needed.

If not using immediately, place a square of waxed paper between each 1, place in a re-sealable plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. Crepes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for several months. Reheat uncovered in a low oven (250 degrees) for 15 minutes or until warm.

For filling:

4 stalks of blanched, fresh asparagus per crepe

1 slice of good quality ham, sliced thinly

Layer the ham on top of the crepe, add the asparagus and roll.  Pour over hollandaise and serve. Add a poached or fried egg if you like.