Instructions:
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Clarify the butter over low heat in a saucepan so the whey sinks to the bottom.
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In a saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and apple brandy and place on very low heat while continuing to whisk for about five minutes.
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Gradually add the clarified butter in a thin stream while whisking until your hollandaise has a mayonnaise-like consistency.
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Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
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Pour 1 liter of water and 10 cl of white wine vinegar into a pot and heat it up to just below boiling point. Crack an egg into a small bowl one at a time, quickly stir the water with a slotted spoon, and gently pour the egg in. Let it simmer for 90 seconds, lift it out, and repeat with the next egg.
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Crisp up the ham in a dry pan while chopping the apple into small cubes. Remove the crispy ham from the pan and toast the apple cubes. Set aside and toast the bread slices.
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Now it's time to assemble. Start by placing baby spinach on the bread, followed by the toasted apple cubes and ham. Then, place the poached egg and pour plenty of hollandaise over it. Finally, sprinkle chopped spring onions and thinly sliced radishes on top.
About Filippa Apple Brandy:
Located just a bit outside the bounds of law and order lies the former market town of Fjerritslev, with its roughly 3,300 residents. Close to wide, white sandy beaches, forests, dunes, and notably Svinkløv in the Jammerbugt. Local folklore describes the peculiar name's origin, stating that the locals were always ready to plunder and attack sailors when their ships ran aground, causing a lot of distress, as the locals themselves tell it.
In this wild and scenic area, we also find Nordic Distillery, a small micro-distillery with lofty ambitions. Since 2009, Anders Bilgram has been enjoying himself in the midst of classic Nordic nature, creating excellent spirits. When not, as the first and so far only person, busy sailing around the North Pole in an open dinghy.
Nordic Distillery primarily produces gin, whisky, and rum but supplements production with small batches of schnapps and fruit brandies - both for export and domestic consumption in Denmark. All of high quality, with carefully selected and hand-sorted ingredients to ensure the best tasting experience for all. Since 2010, Anders has been working with whisky, which is now one of the distillery's main tasks, and he launched the first Danish-produced gin in 2014.
In French, it's called Eau de Vie; in Denmark, we call it fruit brandy. The method is essentially the same: gather the best fruit, ferment it, distill it, and bottle it. And roughly that's how Anders has been making Filippa Apple Brandy from good East Jutland apples in the handmade stills since the beginning.
Both the aroma and taste are almost vinous, transporting you back to childhood apple raids on warm late summer evenings. The notes are distinctly fruity, the alcohol is well-balanced, and it sits well, long, and pleasantly in the mouth. It's excellent as a digestive or an aperitif, but you can also choose, like me, to pour it into the sauce for the world's best breakfast.
