Bacon & Eggs on a Frightful Night

By Lori Powell

I have moved to Pennsylvania to be the Food Director of Prevention magazine and I am thrilled…super beyond thrilled.  What I am not so thrilled about is getting stuck in the snow on the 1/3-mile-long driveway of the place where I am house sitting, until I find a more permanent situation.

It sounded so blissful at first…a 40-acre farm, remote, quiet, with a kitchen that has a Viking range, Sub-Zero fridge and sunny windows.

Then it all went horribly wrong.  I did not count on three snowstorms in just the past two weeks, with yet another on the way. It’s amazing how intimidating the countryside can be when it is pitch-black and 0 degrees, with the only other living thing to hear me being a herd of deer.  They politely enough, were not heckling me as I dug my car further into the snow. I did make it out alive but with knees a-knocking.

So what’s for dinner? Comfort food for me is bacon and eggs on a cold, near-death-experience kind of night. Not only does the aroma of the bacon cooking almost make you swoon, bacon pairs well with the richness of free-range chickens (definitely not the supermarket ones). I swear they have natural built-in butter. Another bonus is that it is super quick and easy to make.

Also, have you ever noticed that before a snowstorm people run out to get what? Eggs, milk and, I would add, bacon! I think it is universal that we find it comforting to have all three in our pantry at any time.

For you, my simple version of bacon and eggs with a quick hollandaise and oh…plus some candles to calm the soul!

Bacon and Eggs
Serves 2

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 whole-grain English muffin, split and toasted
1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 large eggs, preferably from a local henhouse
4 slices cooked bacon

Whisk together first 4 ingredients in top of a double boiler over simmering water until just heated through, about 2 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm, covered.

Place muffin halves on 2 serving plates. Fill a small skillet with 2 inches of water and vinegar. Bring to a simmer. Crack eggs into simmering water. Cook until whites are set and yolks are set to desired doneness, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer eggs to muffin halves.

Top eggs with sauce and bacon. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

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