5-Star Breakfast with Chef Chad Pagano

From light and airy vol au vent pastries and brioche french toast, to butter poached lobster with asparagus and poached eggs, Chef Chad whipped up a gourmet breakfast that truly lived up to its 5-star claim.

Butter Poached Lobster with Poached Eggs, Sautéed Asparagus, Hollandaise Sauce and Puff Pastry Vol au Vents

Vol Au Vents

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 375 F
• Place a sheet of commercial, all-butter puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.
• Paint the sheet with an egg wash. Fold in half or layer with a second layer of puff pastry depending how many pieces you require.
• Cut out the desired size and shape Vol Au Vents with a cookie cutter.
• Within the cut, piece press a slightly small cutter halfway through the dough to score a rim.
• Chill for 20 minutes, arrange on a parchment lined pan and bake until golden brown (about 15 minutes depending on size and shape).
• Allow to cool and scoop out the center of dough and fill when ready to serve.

Butter Poached Lobster

Ingredients 

• 4 pounds unsalted butter, clarified
• 4 to 8 Maine lobster tails
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 lemons, juiced

Instructions 

Place lobster tails in a large pot and cover with the warm clarified butter. Add the garlic and poach on low heat until the shell turns color and the meat is cooked, about a half hour. Allow to cool briefly and remove meat from the shell. Slice the lobsters’ tail meat about a quarter-inch thick or into bite-sized pieces

Hollandaise sauce

Yields 2 cups

Ingredients 

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter

Instructions 

Slowly melt the butter in a small pot. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and salt into a blender. Blend on high until light in color, about 45 seconds. Turn your blender to low and slowly add the warm melted butter to yolk mixture. Blend for about 30 more seconds and taste. Adjust salt and lemon juice and briefly re-blend. Store in a warm spot until ready to use.

Sautéed Asparagus

Ingredients 

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

Instructions

Heat the oil in a wide sauté pan on medium-high heat. When the oil gets hot, add the asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes until deep green and fragrant. Put on plate and top with lime juice and fresh mint.

Poached Eggs

Ingredients 

• Fresh eggs
• 1 to 2 teaspoons white vinegar

Instructions 

In a medium saucepan bring 2½ quarts of water to a slight simmer. Add the vinegar. Working with the eggs one at a time, crack them into a small cup, and gently drop the egg into the water and with a slotted spoon nudge the egg whites closer to the yolk. Each egg will take 2 to 3 minutes to cook. Remove egg with the slotted spoon and serve.