Recipes by Harry Reasoner: Eggs Benedict; Rock Lobster Bouillabaisse

Harry Reasoner's Eggs Benedict

For the Hollandaise sauce:

1/2 cup butter
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
A few grains cayenne

Divide butter into 3 portions. Place 1 portion in a heavy bowl with egg yolks and lemon juice. Cook over hot (never boiling) water, stirring constantly with a wire whisk or wooden spoon until butter melts. Add second portion of butter and stir. When mixture thickens, add the last portion of butter, stirring sauce constantly until thick and smooth. Season with salt and cayenne. If mixture separates, stir in 2 tablespoons cream (or boiling water), drop by drop. It can be made in advance and reheated over warm water while being stirred. A few additional drops of cream (or boiling water) may be added if sauce is too thick.

For the eggs:

4 slices boiled ham (or Canadian bacon)
4 English muffins, split and toasted
4 poached eggs
Hollandaise sauce

Saute ham (or broil Canadian bacon slightly). Arrange on toasted English muffin halves. Place poached eggs on top of ham (or Canadian bacon). Pour Hollandaise sauce on top. Serve as hearty breakfast, brunch or supper offering. Serves 4.

Harry Reasoner's Rock Lobster Bouillabaisse

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped celery
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1 can (28-oz.) tomatoes
1 bottle (8-oz.) clam juice
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Pinch of saffron
1 1/2 lbs. fish fillets (flounder, sole, cod, red snapper or halibut), cut into 2-inch pieces
2 pkgs. (8 ozs. each) frozen South African rock lobster tails
12 mussels, well-scrubbed and debearded
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat olive oil; saute celery, onion and garlic until tender but not brown. Add thyme, bay leaf, tomatoes, clam juice, wine, parsley and saffron. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add fish fillets. Cut each frozen rock lobster tail into three pieces crosswise through hard shell; add shell and all to stew with mussels if desired. Simmer for additional 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf before serving in large bowls with slices of French bread. Serve with well-chilled white or rose wine. Serves 6.