Muffin Topped

When Eli Anderson and Nicole Ankney-Anderson closed their Broad Ripple restaurant, H2O Sushi, last year, they jumped straight into a new venture, 4 Birds Bakery. Their most famous creation, an oatmeal-maple-pecan stunner known simply as “The Cookie,” has stiff competition now with “The Monster,” a gluten-free peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie. It joins a growing list of 4 Birds crowd-pleasers, including Key lime sugar cookies, vegan energy bars, a variety of granolas, and an English muffin that flies off the shelves as quickly as they can make them. Here, Eli shares his riff on eggs Benedict, the perfect way to showcase those hometown English muffins.

 

INGREDIENTS
• (2) 4 Birds Bakery English muffins
• 4 large eggs
• 4 pieces of thinly sliced pancetta
• 1 cup pea shoots or arugula
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
• 4 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 4 teaspoons capers
• Olive oil
• Shichimi togarashi (a Japanese 7-spice blend) or fresh-ground pepper

 

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare an ice bath by filling a medium-size bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Set aside.
2. Fill a large saucepan halfway with water. Bring to boil over high heat.
3. When water boils, gently lower the eggs into the saucepan and boil uncovered for exactly 5 minutes and 10 seconds. (The key to getting the perfect runny yolk.)
4. Place eggs in ice bath for 5 minutes.
5. Place a grill pan or iron skillet over medium heat and saute pancetta until crispy, 2–3 minutes.
6. Slice English muffins in half, drizzle with olive oil, and place cut-side down in the same pan used for pancetta. Lightly toast over medium heat.
7. Put one piece of sauteed pancetta
on each English muffin. Divide arugula, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries,
and capers evenly between all four
muffin halves.
8. Gently peel eggs and warm them under hot water for 30 seconds.
9. Holding one egg over a prepared
muffin, cut egg in half so yolk runs over the arugula mixture. Set egg directly on top of arugula.
10. Sprinkle with togarashi or fresh-ground pepper. Serve immediately.