A Superior Brunch Recipe for Tostada Benedict

One of chef David Henriquez’s favorite things about his adopted city is the easy access to the ingredients he grew up with in his native Honduras. Miami, he says, makes it easy for him to recreate his childhood favorites. But when it came time to craft a brunch offering for South Beach’s Habitat, one that would show off the richness of the local fare, the chef had different source material in mind. Instead of digging into his Honduran background, he opted to add Cuban inspiration to an American classic for a version of eggs benedict like no other.

Instead of the more classic English muffin base, Henriquez looked to pan Cubano — a Miami staple the chef loves — for the bottom layer of his brunch dish. Here, the bread is buttered and pressed in a panini press, affording it a unique crispiness in contrast with the jammy poached eggs and silky hollandaise.

And that’s not the only way that the chef is jazzing up the brunch staple for Miami. In place of the more typical Canadian ham, he uses Iberian Bellota for a richer flavor. And in a nod to his Latin American origins, his hollandaise is made not with lemon juice, but rather with sour orange.

“In the Latin culture, the sour orange is the most used citrus in cooking,” he says, “which is somehow nostalgic for me as an immigrant chef.”

Paired with a simple, lemony salad, it’s a bright, refreshing way to welcome the day (… and sop up the Cuba Libres from last night).

Tostada Benedict

Ingredients:

For the citrus vinaigrette

2 Meyer lemons
5 ounces grape seed oil
1 ounce honey
1 teaspoon salt

For the hollandaise sauce

1 egg yolk
1 cup clarified butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 ounce sour orange juice
3 dashes Tabasco

For the benedict

2 cage-free eggs
White distilled vinegar
2 slices Cuban bread
4 ounces butter
2 ounces Jamon Iberico de Bellota
2 ounces mixed greens

Instructions:

Make the citrus vinaigrette by whisking the ingredients together in a bowl until combined.
Make the hollandaise. Melt the butter in a microwave for about 1 minute, until hot. In a double boiler, combine the egg yolks, sour orange juice, Tabasco, salt. Whisk to combine. Slowly stream the hot butter into the mixture, whisking all the while, until thick. Set aside until ready to plate.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a splash of white distilled vinegar. Add the eggs, and poach for about 3 minutes. Brush the Cuban bread with butter, and press in the panini press until golden brown.
Toss the greens with the vinaigrette until the leaves are coated. Plate the toasted Cuban bread, and top with ham and eggs. Drizzle the hollandaise over the top, and add the mixed greens on the side.