DRIVE BY baked eggs with mashed potatoes and hollandaise (if you have it) and hard, crunchy toast

When I was a kid, the number one thing I got when I was sick was a bowl of mashed potatoes with a poached egg on top.  The runny yolk would turn the potatoes a bright marigold yellow and the firm and tender white with the soft sweet mashed potatoes, well, it was culinary nirvana to me.

SO, when mum emailed me about a :new" mashed potato egg dish she'd seen on TV and we laughed about the fact she'd been making it for EONS,  There's no new ideas people, just versions of the same revolving in space.  So, in light of the "new" combination, I had to throw it together, in trendy form, what my mother had made us for YEARS, to share.  It goes quickly so pay attention:

DRIVE BY RECIPE:  BAKED (ON THE STOVETOP) EGGS IN MASHED POTATO WITH HOLLANDAISE

1.  Obtain little pots, use any cocotte you can get your hands on.  i have two sizes of these little lidded pots, I have red minis which are great for an egg with a little cream but to add potatoes, MY new personal favorite is the 8 oz Sur la Table oven to table STONEWARE MINI COCOTTES (I have yellow!)  NO, I am NOT paid to recommend an item

http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-2303337/?affsrcid=AFF0005&adpos=1o3&creative=45091875941&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KEQjwzq63BRCrtIuGjImRoIIBEiQAGLHdYbGtSv3ysklzHbhfLN-yRLxpq51viiqadPz5R7QSeUYaAutD8P8HAQ

butter the little pots and line then with left over mashed potatoes.  I use a fork to 'grate' the cold potatoes in so they don't clump and stay fluffy when they're reheated

2.  break an egg over the potatoes, into the pot.

3.  Put pot in a pan with room temperature water that comes about half way up the outside of the cocotte.

4.  Put a lid on the sauce pan and turn it on HIGH, when it comes to a boil, turn to low to simmer until the egg is cooked to your liking.  *I* like firm white and runny yellow.  You can lift the lid on the saucepan to look, just jiggle it to see how loose the egg is :)

5.  Make toast, crunchy toast, use homemade bread.  Butter it liberally and cut it into strips (soldiers!) to use to dip through the egg and into the potato, yeah, it's that good.

6.  when the egg is done to your liking drizzle a little hollandaise over it, if you have any, and shove toast in an eat with abandon, joyfully

SIDE DRIVE BY RECIPE:  EASY HOLLANDAISE

I make this recipe and put it in a small mason jar and keep it in the fridge up to a week.  Easily.  Take the lid off the jar and nuke gently to bring to room temperature or slightly warmer as many times as you can in the week.  Trust me, I do it all the time and we have not been poisoned.

I use a stick blender to make this version of a quickie hollandaise and it's indistinguishable from the 'classic' stirred over a water bath version.

IN a tall bottle, jar, vessel just slightly wider than the head of a stick blender put:

1 egg yolk (XL or the largest of the eggs you have)
1 Tablespoon water
2 tsp lemon juice (or more if you want it more tart)
salt

Put your stick blender in and whip like crazy

SLOWLY drizzle in one stick of melted butter while you blend continously.

DONE, season to taste with cayenne or paprika or herbs or whatever floats your boat.  Keep on counter to use same day other than that, store it in the fridge and heat GENTLY to loosen to use through the week.

Here are a few pics...  driveby recipes are result only :)

 

grab leftovers, throw them in a pot, crack an egg over and steam bake till they're done