This all started during a maritime festival in Waterford, about 10 years ago, when TV3 asked me to cook up a breakfast dish, related to the area, live , from an Irish naval vessel moored in the docks.
I had just had some good Eggs Bededict cooked by a friend of mine so decided to do a Waterford variation of these.
Eggs Benedict, an American breakfast dish, is a toasted muffin with some cooked ham on top, a poached egg on top of that, the whole masked with with some fresh warm hollandaise.
My variation was to substitute a potato cake for the muffin, some smoked salmon for the ham and to add some herbs to the hollandaise to make it green.
I decided to call this Eggs Olaf, Olaf being a saint with some Waterford connections.

If I may say so myself it turned out pretty tasty.
It has become a Dwyer brunch for special occasions.
This morning being such a one.

Having persuaded various members of my family down to see the production of The Armed Man in Waterford with which both Sile and I were involved. (See previous entry) I felt a reward should be offered.
That is how we ended up poaching 14 eggs for a rather large Eggs Olaf Brunch this morning.
My daughter Eileen agreed to take a photo of one of the finished articles.
You can use this as a visual aid.

And here is the recipe for those of you brave enough to try it.

My advice would be to make up the potato cakes well in advance as they reheat well in a warm oven.
All the rest has to be done with your guests sitting and waiting.
They won’t mind I promise.
The end justifies the wait.

Eggs Olaf
(For 4 polite or 2 hungry)

8 Large Free- Range Eggs
4 Slices Smoked Salmon
225g (8 oz.) Mashed Potato
Bunch of Chives
Bunch Parsley
12 leaves of Sorrel (or spinach)
1 Lime
110g (4 oz.) Butter
110g (4oz.) Pinhead Oatmeal
Some sunflower oil for frying.

Chop the herbs together and divide in two.
Save one half for the sauce.
Mix the other half with the mashed potato and make it into four fairly flat cakes.
Beat one of the eggs and dip each of the cakes in this and then in the oatmeal.
Fry these in a little oil in a hot pan until brown and crisp on the outside.
Keep these warm.

Chop the smoked salmon into thin matchstick pieces.

Now make the green hollandaise sauce.
Tip the yolks of three of the remaining eggs into a liquidizer with the herbs and the grated rind and juice of the lime.
Whizz these to make a smooth green mixture.
Melt the butter and dribble into the still whizzing eggs.

Now while that sauce is still warm poach the eggs.
Bring a pot to the boil with a tablespoon of vinegar.
While it is simmering gently insinuate four eggs gently into the water and poach until just cooked (about 1 ½ mts.)
.

To assemble the dish.
Put a potato cake on 4 warmed plates.
(Or two on two for the hungry)
Scatter the smoked salmon on each potato cake.
Put a poached egg on the salmon and then spoon over the hollandaise sauce.

Serve immediately.