Is there anything more luxurious and 5-star than an eggs benedict and mimosa brunch? This meal shouldn’t be limited to room service at The W, Fairmont, or Ritz-Carleton. It can also be enjoyed in the outdoors. On my latest camping trip, I switched up the typical benedict ham for something more rustic. Here is my new favorite, a Venison Eggs Benedict with Adobo Hollandaise Sauce.
This dish for Venison Eggs Benedict is inspired by my trip down the Rogue River earlier this fall with a group of chefs and gourmet food lovers.
The Rogue River stretches over 200 miles through Southern Oregon. It was one of the original eight rivers to be designated Wild and Scenic. While rafting through Class III and IV rapids, you see amazing canyons and rock formations, and wildlife including deer, black bears, osprey, and bald eagles.
Now other than spotting deer from the boat, how did this excursion prompt this recipe?
A great eggs benedict can be a challenging dish to execute correctly for two elements – the eggs and the hollandaise. Poached eggs can fall apart and hollandaise can quickly break. Unfortunately, the chef who drew straws for the last brunch experienced both.
To save everyone this headache, I pulled together some tips and tricks… and made some other improvements to the classic “eggs benny” along the way.
5 Secrets to Poaching Eggs at Camp
- Crack an egg in a fine-mesh sieve. This will remove the parts of the egg that cause feathering.
- Transfer the egg to the ramekin. It helps to keep things together before dropping the egg in the poaching liquid.
- Add vinegar to the poaching water. A little bit of chemistry here at work, people. Vinegar helps hold everything together. Don’t ask me… it’s just science.
- Don’t fuss over it. The more you touch it the more you risk screwing it up. Leave it alone and allow the warm water to do all the work.
- When in doubt, don’t poach. With a great hollandaise, a benedict works just as well with a soft-boiled or sunny-side-up egg. Just don’t overcook. The runny yolk is essential.
Now, I know there are some benedict purists out there who would disagree with tip #5, but it’s important to take on what you know you can execute. And this recipe isn’t for the purists anyway… after all ham has been switched out for yummy venison to make Venison Eggs Benedict with Adobo Hollandaise Sauce.
Venison is an extremely lean meat, especially compared to ham or bacon.
To seal in the juiciest of the meat, start with soaking the meat overnight in milk. Then, cook using a technique called a reverse-seer. Start with cooking the venison over a low heat campfire for 3-4 minutes a side, then finish in a high heat cast iron pan for another 3-4 minutes. Like all other game, be careful not to overcook. This meat is best served rare.
The second key benedict ingredient, and in my opinion the most important, is the hollandaise sauce. This one is seasoned with Adobo which mirrors the smokey flavor of the campfire.
The Secret to Hollandaise for Venison Eggs Benedict
- Use a double boiler. I place a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. This helps keep the egg yolks from getting too hot as you combine them with the butter.
- Try clarified butter. Clarified butter means that all of the milk solids have been removed. Gordon Ramsey swears by this for his hollandaise recipes.
- As a last resort, try a mix. This probably is another eye-roll from the foodies, but when cooking in the outdoors, you gotta use shortcuts if you need them. My recommendation is the one from Knorr, available at most grocery stores.
Not an eggs benedict type of person? Check out these other breakfast recipes for more ideas at camp or at home!
Venison Eggs Benedict with Adobo Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
For the hollandaise…
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2 cup clarified butter melted
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce
For the benedict…
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces venison tenderloin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 cup baby kale
- 4 english muffins
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Twelve to 24 hours before serving, marinate venison in 2 cups of whole milk. Keep cold in cooler.
- The morning that you plan to serve the benedict, remove venison from milk and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Next, start making the hollandaise. In a stainless steel bowl, whip together egg yolks and vinegar until mixture approximately doubles in size. Place bowl over saucepan of gently simmering water. While continuing to whisk, drizzle in butter and stir until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in Adobo. Set aside.
- Heat cast iron skillet on camp stove or hot part of the campfire. On cooler part of the fire, cook venison for 3-4 minutes per side. Add oil and butter to skillet and melt. Transfer meat to hot skillet and seer for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Split English muffins. Add to cast iron skillet, "nooks and crannies" side down. Cook until toasted.
- While muffins are toasting, add water until it measures 3-inches deep in the pan you plan to use for poaching. Splash with vinegar. Bring water to a gentle simmer. Crack eggs in fine mesh sieve and transfer one at a time to water and then poaching liquid. Poach for 3-5 minutes and remove with slotted spoon.
- Cut venison into thin slices. Assemble benedict by topping muffin with kale, venison and poached egg. Drizzle with hollandaise.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Tag @bewildeats on Instagram and hashtag it #bewildeats.
Thanks for the tips. I always have trouble with hollendaise sauce.
Love all the tips and are you saying you can switch out the vension with ham and still have a delicious taste? Or is it a big sacrifice to do?
Thanks for the question. It’s not a sacrifice at all. I even prefer the venison to the ham.