Crab & Savory Bacon Bread Pudding Eggs Benedict

Crab & Savory Bacon Bread Pudding Eggs Benedict

1 tablespoon butter (for ramekin dishes)
6 cups dried bread cubes
4 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
2/3 cup chicken broth, or more as needed
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs for bread pudding
6 large eggs for poaching
lemon, juiced
2 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
8 ounces fresh lump crab meat
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup hollandaise sauce
1 pinch cayenne pepper, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400.
Butter the insides of 6 (10-ounce) ramekins and place on a baking sheet.
Place bread cubes into a large bowl, set aside.
Cook and stir bacon until browned and almost crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove excess oil from skillet.

Stir in onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in red pepper and cook for an additional minute. Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream; cook until mixture begins to simmer, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour cream mixture over bread cubes and mix thoroughly until all liquid is absorbed.
Stir in eggs, lemon juice, tarragon, and lemon zest.
Mix in crabmeat, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Spoon mixture into prepared ramekins and bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes.


Poaching Eggs

Fill medium saucepan with 1 quart of water, bring to boil over high heat.
Add 2 tsp white vinegar, reduce heat to simmer.

Crack 6 eggs (individually) into small bowl; holding the bowl just above the surface of simmering water, gently slide egg into the water. Repeat with remaining egg. Poach until whites are firm and yolks have thickened but are not hard, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.

Remove eggs with slotted spoon, dab on a kitchen towel to remove excess water, and transfer to a warm plate.

Sauce

One package of Knorr Hollandaise sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
white pepper

Prepare sauce according to package, add pepper and lemon juice.

Remove ramekins from oven and top each bread pudding with a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce over each egg. Garnish with cayenne pepper.