Waffles with Eggs and Parmesan Hollandaise

To make the hollandaise, in a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

In a food processor or blender, combine the whole egg, egg yolks, lemon juice and cayenne and process until smooth. With the processor running, slowly pour the melted butter through the feed tube and process until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Pour the sauce back into the saucepan, set over low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Whisk in the water. Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan and whisk until combined. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover to keep warm.

To make the waffles, preheat a waffle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Preheat an oven to 200°F (95°C).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper and Parmesan. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Add the eggs and melted butter and whisk until smooth.

Pour about 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) batter into each well of the waffle maker. Close the lid and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the waffles to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining waffles and the eggs.

In a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Crack the eggs into the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and fry until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the waffles to individual plates. Top each with a fried egg and spoon on the hollandaise. Garnish with chives, sprinkle with salt and several grindings of black pepper and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen