Shrimp Remoulade Benedict - SHRIMP WEEK Day 7

It's the last day of Shrimp Week and there has been some GOOOOOOOD eatin' all week long.  We enjoyed Shrimp in a Salad, Shrimp in Pasta, A New Orleans inspired Shrimp Recipe, an Asian inspired Shrimp recipe, a Mediterranean inspired Shrimp recipe, and yesterday's fancy bacon sizzled Shrimp and Grits (Grits recipe to be posted).  Those little guys sure do get around.  Now it's time for breakfast...

But today, for my shrimp swan song, I have an original recipe to share.  I was pondering what to have for a late breakfast one morning, when the heavens parted and this gift from the gods filled my head.  A combination of a couple of successes and inspired by a classic.

And, yes, when done right, with a runny egg yolk, it is a little messy, but that is why we eat with forks and wear long sleeve shirts.


Here's what I did...

First, I had a loaf of Eng's Bread already made up.  Eng Bread is very simple (just a loaf of sweetened French bread).  It mixes together in minutes, has a short proofing (rising) time, and tastes great.  I have made a several loafs of this bread since coming to the island.  Easy, fast and delicious...


Here;s a quick version of how to make Eng's Bread...

ENG BREAD - Recipe makes One 1 pound loaf


3/4 cup lukewarm water (about 100º F)
1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1/2  tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
2 cups all-purpose white flour (no need to sift)
1 TBS Sugar

1. Mix everything together to form a dough ball.  Kneading time is only about 5 minutes, until everything has melded.
2. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, roll the ball to completely coat in oil
3. Cover with a towel and let rise for 2 to 5 hours.  Dough will double in size (Like Eng did)
4. You can freeze the dough at this stage (I make 4 loafs at a time, lasts for about 2 weeks, just thaw, quick bake and fresh bread).  
5. Or we are now ready to bake... Form into a dome shaped bread, place on a parchment covered baking stone or cookie sheet.
6. Allow to rest for 40 minutes to an hour
7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes (internal temperature of 190 degrees).

OK, back to today's recipe...


1st, take some of the small salad size shrimp out of the freezer.  About 1/2 a pound.  Run them under HOT water for a few minutes to thaw.  No need to cook as they are precooked and ready to serve.  Of course, if you are able to find the tiny shrimp fresh, feel free to de-vein and peel them, but they will need to be cooked a bit.


 As I said, I already had a loaf of Eng's Bread ready.  Slice a thick piece (about 1 inch) and drizzle top quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (a great opportunity to use some infused garlic oil) on both sides.


Coat well and toast in a frying pan...

And now is a great tip... Take a fresh piece of garlic, slice off a tiny part of the end and rub the exposed garlic on the bread.  really, the small amount of oil that is released is just enough to add a LOT of garlic flavor.  


Make enough bread that you can make the recipe and have a slice of the toast just to eat warm and garlicky!  It is really good just toasted with oil and rubbed garlic!

Be sure to rub both sides.


Cut a fresh tiny slice off the garlic clove for each slice you are rubbing.


This is my favorite way to eat Eng's Bread... The extra sugar, the texture of the toast, the oil and garlic.  Makes a great lunch, or a perfect way to make an open faced sandwich (which is all this recipe is, just a fancy open faced sandwich), but I digress... Time to work on the recipe...

It all does come together fast... 


You have to do a bit of juggling, dirty a few pans, but this is a 20 minute recipe... really it is...


While toasting the bread, dice up a Roma tomato.  Firm, so that there is not much juice...

And at the same time, make a couple of poached eggs.  DO NOT be intimidated by poached eggs.  They are very easy.  Here are a couple of tricks I have found that helps...


add a tsp of vinegar to the water.  Helps the egg bond together in the early stage.


get the water swirling (like a flushing toilet bowl) and pour the egg into the center.


And MOST important... If you like a hard cooked center, 5-7 minutes.  BUT, I love the oozy centers of a truely classic poached egg.  Just 2-3 minutes and NO MORE than that.  When you remove them from teh water, dump in cold water to stop the cooking process.


And while all that is going on (come on, it is just boiling an egg, slicing a tomato and toasting a slice of bread... Looks like a lot, but really it isn't.)...


Like I said, while all that is going on, take a small sauce pan, add 1/4 cup of buttermilk to a 1/4 cup remoulade sauce.  I made a fresh batch earlier in the week, it stays fresh in the fridge for a couple weeks.  Click HERE for my remoulade recipe.


Heat and mix for a few minutes, stirring occasionally so it is well mixed.


And now, FINALLY, you have all the elements of this breakfast/brunch soon to be classic...

Lay out a slice of toast...


Top with the diced tomatoes...

Top with the shrimp...


Pour 1/3rd of the creamy remoulade sauce over the shrimp...


Top with the eggs...


Add the rest of the remoulade sauce and enjoy...

It really is easy once the bread and original remoulade sauce is made.


And it is SOOO worth the effort
...