Description
Classic Eggs Benedict features perfectly poached eggs and rich hollandaise sauce atop toasted English muffins with ham, bacon or smoked salmon, creating a luxurious brunch favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Hollandaise Sauce
- 3 large egg yolks (55-60g / 2 oz each)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or white pepper)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 tbsp water, plus more as needed
- 175g (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1.5 cm / 1/2″ cubes
For the Eggs Benedict
- 8 large eggs, cold from fridge
- 8 slices bacon (streaky, Canadian or other)
- 200g (7 oz) shaved or sliced ham (16 slices, i.e. 2 slices per muffin half)
- 250g (8 oz) smoked salmon slices, at room temperature
- 4 English muffins, split (or 8 slices other bread, or 4 brioche or other rolls)
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 50°C (120°F). This low temperature will be used to keep ingredients warm later.
- Cook the Bacon: In a pan with a little oil or butter, cook the bacon slices to your desired crispiness. Once done, transfer them to a small baking pan, cover with foil, and place in the warm oven to keep.
- Warm the Ham: If using ham, simply cover it and place in the oven to warm slightly while you proceed with other steps.
- Toast Muffins: Lightly toast the English muffins and keep them warm on a rack placed on a tray.
- Make Hollandaise Sauce: Place the egg yolks in a tall narrow jug that fits your blender stick completely to the base. Add the water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt. Blend briefly to combine. Melt the butter in a heatproof jug until hot, being careful not to overheat. Let stand for 15 seconds to allow milky solids to settle at the bottom. With the blender running on high, slowly pour the hot butter in a thin stream over about 45 seconds into the egg mixture, leaving behind most of the milky solids. The sauce should become thick, creamy, smooth, and pale yellow. Blend for an additional 10 seconds while moving the blender up and down. If the sauce is too thick, incorporate warm tap water teaspoon by teaspoon until it’s thick but pourable. Transfer the hollandaise to a bowl, cover, and keep warm or at room temperature for up to 15 minutes.
- Prepare Poached Eggs: Crack each egg into a small strainer set over a bowl to let watery whites drain for about 30 seconds, gently moving the egg to allow drainage. Transfer each strained egg into separate teacups. Fill a large pot with about 7.5 cm (3 inches) of water and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat until there are only tiny bubbles at the bottom, avoiding big bubbles breaking the surface.
- Poach Eggs: Gently roll each egg out from its teacup onto the base of the pot to minimize the drop distance and create a neat shape. Do this for all eggs within 15 seconds. After 20 seconds, when eggs are beginning to set but not fully cooked, use a slotted spoon along with a regular spoon to carefully turn each egg upside down, starting with the first egg. Poach eggs for a total of 1 1/2 minutes, turning once more after 1 minute. Check doneness by lifting one egg from the water; the whites should be softly set and yolks runny.
- Drain Eggs: Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain moisture and dry the tops with residual heat for about 15 seconds. Avoid leaving too long to prevent sticking.
- Assemble Eggs Benedict: Place two English muffin halves on each plate. Layer with ham, bacon, or smoked salmon as preferred. Top each with a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce generously over the eggs, then sprinkle with chopped parsley and chives. Serve immediately for best taste and texture.
Notes
- Use fresh large eggs for best poaching results.
- When melting butter, avoid overheating to prevent separation; allowing milky solids to settle improves sauce texture.
- Keep the hollandaise sauce warm but not hot; it thickens as it cools but remains delicious at room temperature.
- Using a teacup to hold eggs before dropping them into water helps achieve a gentle poach and neat shape.
- Adjust cayenne pepper amount to taste for mild heat in the hollandaise sauce.
- Serve immediately after assembly to enjoy optimal texture and flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Eggs Benedict, Hollandaise Sauce, Poached Eggs, Breakfast, Brunch, Bacon, Ham, Smoked Salmon
