Corn Cakes topped with Avocado, Tomato, Poached Egg & Smoked Salmon
To ring in the New Year I decided to cook a beautiful brunch for my boyfriend, my sister and few close friends. All of my guests have been to my apartment before for brunch and several dinner parties, so I knew I had to create something new and unique that they all would enjoy. My friend Jon and I love smoked salmon, my sister and I love pancakes, my boyfriend enjoys a good poached egg and my very health conscious friend Chris loves a good avocado. I decided to put these items together in one savory and hearty brunch tower that is not only full of flavor but the presentation is restaurant quality. Poached eggs have a great texture and appearance, but you can substitute them with traditional over-medium fried eggs. Many people are intimidated by poached eggs, but trust me they are super easy when you follow my few simple instructions.
Happy New Year to all of my followers! I look forward to sharing more of my original recipes with you in 2014! I hope you #gotroomformore delicious recipe ideas this year!
Makes 6 Servings (1 Cake/Egg per person. If you are only serving this, double the recipe so each person gets two egg topped corn cakes)
Savory Corn Pancakes
Ingredients-
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon Canola or Vegetable oil
½ a fresh green jalapeno pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely chopped (You can use the whole pepper if you want more heat)
1 Teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Salted Butter
Steps-
In a bowl combine cornmeal, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
In a separate bowl whisk together egg, buttermilk, and oil. Whisk into the flour mixture along with the jalapeno, and cilantro.
Place a griddle or skillet over medium heat and place a pat of butter in the pan. Once the pan is hot and the butter is melted Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle, forming 4 to 5-inch rounds like traditional pancakes. Turn cakes when bubbles form on the top and the bottoms are golden and crisp. Flip with a spatula and cook on the second side until cooked through, another 3 or 4 minutes. Keep cakes in a warm oven on the lowest setting until ready to serve.
Poached Eggs-
Ingredients-
6 Eggs
2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
Steps-
Heat a large pot of water on the stove until it is almost at a boil.
Once the water is almost boiling, add 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar or Rice Vinegar.
Crack the eggs gently right above the surface of the water. It is very important to drop them close to the water so they don’t break and lose the proper consistency.
When the eggs are cracked into the water, the vinegar will cause the eggs to congeal.
Shut the stove off and cover the pot for about 4 minutes or until the white of the egg are fully cooked and the egg looks like a smooth ball. You want the yolks to be runny!
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon. (If you need help making a poached egg, there are videos and more detailed instructions online, or just make an over-medium egg instead in a frying pan.)
While you are poaching the eggs start assembling all the other ingredients-
Ingredients-
1 Red, very ripe, medium tomato sliced in ¼ inch slices
2 Medium size ripe Avocados
Salt & Pepper
6-8oz Smoked Salmon (I use Nova)
Fresh Dill (garnish)
Steps-
Slice the avocados in half, remove the pits and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Smash the avocado with a fork and sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
Scoop about 1 Tablespoon (or more if you like) of the avocado onto each corn pancake.
Place a slice of tomato on top.
Then place a poached egg on top of the tomato. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Top the egg layer with a nicely folded piece of smoked salmon (about 1 oz of salmon for each one) and garnish with black pepper and a little fresh dill.
Serve and enjoy!!