Eggs Benedict is the quintessential French breakfast, and one that is loved by anyone who loves breakfast food. It’s hearty, rich, and very delicate to make, but there’s nothing quite as delicious as a plate of Eggs Benedict you’ve made yourself in the morning. This is a standard Eggs Benedict recipe, but there are many different ways and variations on this classic recipe.
This dish is full of butter, fat, and savory meats, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Ingredients
Four eggs
Canadian bacon, or other cured meat of your choice
An English muffin
Unsalted butter
A lemon
Fresh chives
White vinegar
Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the hollandaise sauce
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a deep pan, then remove and set aside in a measuring cup
Using the same pan, rinse and fill with 1-2 inches of water. Bring the water to a strong simmer
Crack two eggs and dump the yolks in a bowl. Discard whites
Squeeze lemon juice into bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To emulsify the yolks and butter and make the hollandaise sauce, get the cup of butter you melted and set aside.
The next step is critical – as the water simmers on the burner, place the bowl with the egg yolk and lemon juice over the simmering water and start whisking.
As the mixture thickens, gradually stir in the melted butter. Don’t add the butter all at once, but rather gradually add until all the butter is used.
Your steps should be like this – while whisk constantly with your dominant hand. Don’t stop. While you do this, add a little butter. When the sauce start to thicken, add a little more butter. It will get a little thinner each time you add butter. Just keep doing this until all the butter has been used.
Transfer the warm hollandaise sauce to a measuring cup and set aside.
For the poached egg
Fill a pot about 2/3 full of water, and add 1 ounce of vinegar.
Bring to a medium boil.
Crack an egg into a half-cup measing cup.
Stir the water in a circular motion with a slotted spoon until the water has a really good spinning motion – like a hurricane.
Fill the pot about two-thirds full of water, add a splash of your vinegar, and bring it to a modest boil.
Drop the egg into the middle of the spinning water very gently. Don’t drop the egg, but rather slowly slide the egg out with the cup at about water level.
Let the egg spin and cook for about 3 minutes.
Gently dip the egg into the middle of the pot. You definitely don’t want to drop or pour it in. When I do this, I put about half the cup underwater.
Remove egg and place on a clean kitchen towel, then repeat the process with another egg.
Assembling the Eggs Benedict
Heat a skillet on low-medium, and put a tablespoon of butter in to melt.
Toast the English muffin on both sides, both pieces, until both sides on each the top and bottom are nicely toasted and buttery.
Whatever your choice of meat is, let it warm up in the pan for a minute.
Plate the dish by placing the English muffin on the bottom, then the cured meat, poached egg on top of the meat, a touch of salt and pepper on the egg should then be added (to taste)
Spoon out a tablespoon (at most) of hot water and pour into the hollandaise mixture. Stir until the sauce re-warms and has a nice consistency
Garnish with chopped chives, and enjoy!
