Equipment
Ingredients
Peas and Pancetta
- 100 g pancetta, diced
- 110 g sourdough bread, cubed
- 2 garlic, crushed
- 6 g fennel seeds, toasted and ground
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 200 g fresh young peas
- 2 eggs, soft poached
Hollandaise Sauce
- 25 ml white wine vinegar
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 mace blade
- 1 g black pepper, to taste
- 1½ g fresh thyme, chopped
- 3 egg yolk
- 250 g unsalted butter, melted
- 30 ml lemon juice
- 1 g salt, to taste
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1601 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbohydrates
- 52 g
- Fat
- 145 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 905 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 74 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 38 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Cholesterol
- 773 mg
- Potassium
- 833 mg
- Calcium
- 209 mg
- Iron
- 6.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 85 mg
- Phosphorus
- 436 mg
- Zinc
- 4.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 1164 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 50 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 36 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.78 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.81 mg
- Niacin
- 5.1 mg
- Folate
- 208 mcg
- Water
- 199 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the diced pancetta in a frying pan over low-medium heat and cook for 5 minutes until the fat renders and the meat becomes crispy.
Remove the pancetta from the pan and drain on kitchen paper, ensuring you reserve the rendered fat in the pan.
Add the cubed sourdough and crushed garlic to the frying pan with the reserved fat and toast over medium heat until the bread is golden and crisp.
Stir the ground fennel seeds into the toasted bread cubes and set the mixture aside.
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil (100°C/212°F), then add 25g of butter and the fresh peas, cooking for 5 minutes until tender.
In a small saucepan, boil the white wine vinegar over high heat until the volume has reduced by half.
Place the chopped shallots, mace, peppercorns, and thyme in a mixing bowl and pour the reduced vinegar over them.
Whisk the egg yolks into the vinegar mixture until the preparation thickens and reaches a ribbon consistency.
Slowly pour the melted butter into the yolk mixture in a steady stream while whisking constantly to form a smooth emulsion.
Season the hollandaise sauce with salt, freshly ground pepper, and lemon juice according to preference.
Briefly submerge the pre-poached eggs in boiling water (100°C/212°F) for 1 minute to reheat.
Distribute the peas, pancetta, and sourdough croutons between two plates, top each with a poached egg, and finish with the hollandaise sauce.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure the melted butter is warm but not hot when adding to the yolks to prevent scrambling.
- Use very fresh eggs for the best poaching results.
Storage
Refrigerator: 24 hours — Hollandaise sauce quality degrades rapidly.
Reheating: Gently warm hollandaise in a double boiler; do not boil.
Troubleshooting
Hollandaise sauce separates or curdles
Cause: Butter was added too quickly or the mixture became too hot
Fix: Whisk a fresh egg yolk with a teaspoon of warm water in a clean bowl, then slowly whisk the broken sauce into it
Prevention: Add butter drop by drop initially and use a bain-marie to control heat
Cultural Context
This dish is a sophisticated take on classic French bistro fare, often found on menus in Paris and other culinary hubs. It elevates simple ingredients like peas and eggs with rich sauces and artisanal bread, reflecting the French appreciation for quality and technique in everyday meals.
