Smoked chorizo eggs benedict on Loaf English muffin

Smoked chorizo eggs benedict on Loaf English muffin. Photo / Doug Sherring

This light and tasty treat is something special, best enjoyed for Easter Sunday brunch. The ingredients are always the stars, so use the best-quality ingredients you can get your hands on. I use free-range eggs that display the RNZSPCA's Blue Tick.

Ready in 25 minutes. Serves 4

4 Loaf English muffins
8 free-range Blue Tick eggs
16 slices of chorizo sausage
2 cups fresh spinach, washed

Hollandaise ingredients:
200ml white wine vinegar
200ml white wine
200ml water
1 shallot
2 parsley stalks
6 peppercorns
3 egg yolks
250ml melted butter
Sea salt
Cracked pepper
Butter

1 Hollandaise sauce is all about reduction, so first heat a small saucepan to medium to high heat and drizzle it with a teaspoon of olive oil. Slice the shallot roughly then add to the pan along with the peppercorns and parsley stalks. Sweat for three to four minutes then add the vinegar, white wine and water. Lower heat and reduce by three quarters.

2 Put egg yolks in a bowl and add two tablespoons of the reduction, then set over a saucepan of boiling water and whisk continuously until the egg yolks reach a thick, shiny ribbon stage.

3 Remove from the saucepan and, while still whisking, slowly drizzle the melted butter into the mix. Keep whisking until the sauce is thick, buttery and shiny.

4 Season with salt, cracked pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, then add a teaspoon of hot water to help stabilise the sauce.

5 Place the English muffins in the toaster until toasted to your preference, and keep warm ready for use. Heat a large frying pan to a medium heat and fry the chorizo until slightly coloured and warm.

6 Remove the sausages from the pan and keep warm with the English muffins. Return the pan to the heat without cleaning and add a knob of butter, followed by the spinach. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper and cook until just wilted. Remove from the pan on to a paper towel, which will absorb any excess liquid from the spinach.

7 Bring a frying pan filled with water to the boil and add three tablespoons of vinegar. Gently crack your eggs into the water. Turn the pan down to a simmer and allow to bubble gently for three to four minutes. Check the eggs by gently lifting them from the water on a perforated spoon. They need to be slightly wobbly in the centre - this will mean a runny yolk. When they are ready, place all the eggs on to a paper towel and allow to drain free from any excess water.

8 To serve, place one half of each English muffin in the centre of each plate followed by a small bed of spinach. Add the chorizo sausage, then place the other half of the muffin on top. Follow with another small bed of wilted spinach. Finally, place two poached eggs on top followed by a generous spoonful of Hollandaise sauce.

9 Repeat this process for all four plates.