Eggs Benedict with Cornmeal-Rye pancakes

Eggs Benedict is a Christmas morning tradition in the Jenison household.  We get up, make coffee, open presents for awhile, then stop and make brunch.  This year I decided to change the bread component in the dish.  A friend of ours cooked cornmeal-rye pancakes during a recent stay.  It occurred to me that these would be good sweet or savory, potentially perfect for eggs benny!

Ingredients:
eggs
canadian bacon
hollandaise sauce (I buy prepared to save time)
english muffins, toasted, or cornmeal rye pancakes, prepared and kept warm in oven
smoked paprika
salt and pepper

Pancake ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup rye flour
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon salf
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix the cornmeal, rye flour, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl.  Stir in the butter and buttermilk, and mix until blended.
Heat a griddle to medium hot and film with grease.  Spoon on about 2 tablespoons batter for each pancake.  Cook until a few bubbles form on top, turn the pancakes over, and cook until the bottoms are lightly browned.  Serve hot (or keep warm until eggs are prepared, then assemble each portion).

Heat canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce to serving temperature.  Keep warm until eggs are cooked.

To poach an egg, fill a pot to twice the depth of an egg with water.  Add a 1/2 tsp of salt, and a tablespoon of vinegar.  Bring water to a near-boil.  Swirl the water around madly with a spoon, and while water is swirling add the egg.  Cook at medium temp for 5 minutes, then ladle egg and drain with a slotted spoon.

To assemble:  place cornmeal rye cake on plate, top with one slice of canadian bacon, one egg, the top with hollandaise sauce, a pinch of paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

Hint:  You may wish to prepare all the ingredients in advance and keep warm until all the eggs have been poached, then assemble and serve.

The consensus was the cornmeal rye cakes were delicious under the eggs benedict.  I actually preferred them over English muffins because they were nuttier tasting and easier to eat.  Try them and let me know what you think!

The cornmeal rye pancake recipe comes from our friend Teller via The Breakfast Book by Marion Cuningham, Knopt publisher.

eggs poaching in a pan of water

half-eaten eggs benny

the smoked paprika really adds to the flavor of the dish-yum!