Husband played in a golf tournament in Montgomery yesterday, and then headed to Troy to hang out with his family (I had to work late last night so he said I didn't need to make the trip), so I had the house to myself. Despite my laundry-list of chores a mile long, I decided to make brunch. For myself. At 1:30pm.
I'm not sure where this craving came from, but I really wanted to make Eggs Benedict. Maybe it's because that's what my dad usually makes on special occasions. Or maybe it's because I already had most of the ingredients and didn't want to go to the store (it was raining--I hate grocery shopping in the rain). Either way, I craved it. So I made it. Or at least, I made a slightly skewed version of it.
For you dear readers who don't know me very well, I love all things Italian. I'm convinced I must have Italian blood in me somewhere (though my Scotch-Irish ancestry begs to differ). Italian food is my favorite thing to cook, eat, stare at, think about...you get the picture. So naturally, I decided to add a little Italian flair to my brunch-for-one. Plus, I had some Pancetta that I got on sale Friday night and I was anxious to cook with it for the first time. Add to that some fresh parmesan, eggs and Bisquick and ta-da! Italian Eggs Benedict with Pancetta and Rosemary Parmesan Biscuits. Sounds yummy, huh?
Now, obviously I have cheated a little bit. I did not make the biscuits from scratch. I mean, why let all that good Bisquick go to waste? I just doctored up the recipe a little bit to give the biscuits some extra flavor. I also opted for simple drop biscuits, as opposed to kneading, rolling and cutting the dough. Drop biscuits look more homemade to me, so I can pretend I made them from scratch. Like I'm playing a trick on myself.
Anyway, here is the recipe for you:
1 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup milk
1/8 tsp dried rosemary (I would have preferred fresh, but had dry on hand)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
2 slices Pancetta
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 egg
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix Bisquick and milk together until soft dough forms. Stir in the rosemary and parmesan, blending well (be careful not to over-stir, this will make the biscuits tough). Drop spoonful of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet (this recipe will make about 3 medium biscuits--I halved the original recipe since I was only baking for myself). Bake for 8-10 minutes. While biscuits are baking, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in 8" saute pan over medium heat. Fry two slices of Pancetta until crispy (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. In the same pan used for the Pancetta, fry one egg until edges are set and the center is slightly cooked (or until desired doneness). When biscuits are done, cool slightly on wire rack. Cut the biscuit in half horizontally. Place egg on bottom half of biscuit, top with Pancetta and the other half of the biscuit.
Now I'm sure you all have noticed something my recipe is lacking. The essential ingredient to Eggs Benedict--hollandaise. Well, I've never made a hollandaise before and I've heard it's kind of tricky. So I thought I would save that task for another day. I did, however, find a delicious recipe that I want to try when I'm up for the challenge--Michael Chiarello's Olive Oil Hollandaise. I think it would be the perfect touch to my version of Eggs Benedict. I'll keep you posted!
