Description
Classic Eggs Benedict is a delicious and elegant breakfast or brunch dish featuring toasted English muffins topped with ham, bacon or smoked salmon, perfectly poached eggs, and a rich, creamy homemade Hollandaise sauce with a hint of cayenne pepper. This recipe guides you through every step, from poaching eggs to preparing the silky sauce, resulting in a refined and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
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
Poached Eggs
- 8 large eggs, fridge cold
Meat and Bread
- 8 slices bacon (streaky, Canadian style or other)
- 200g / 7oz shaved or sliced ham (16 slices, 2 slices per muffin half)
- 250g / 8oz smoked salmon slices, at room temperature
- 4 English muffins, split (or 8 slices other bread, or 4 brioche or other rolls)
Garnish
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 50°C / 120°F. Cook the bacon in a little oil or butter until it reaches your desired crispiness, then transfer it to a small baking pan. Cover the pan with foil and place it in the oven to keep warm. If using ham, cover and place it in the oven as well to warm slightly. Lightly toast the English muffins and keep warm on a rack set on a tray.
- Make the Hollandaise Sauce: Place the egg yolks in a tall narrow jug that fits your stick blender fully to the base. Add the water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt, then blitz briefly to combine. Melt the butter in a heatproof jug until hot, being careful not to overheat it. Let it stand for 15 seconds so the milky solids settle at the bottom. Keep the stick blender running on high and slowly pour the hot butter in a thin stream into the egg yolk mixture over about 45 seconds, leaving behind most of the milk solids. The sauce should become thick, creamy, smooth, and pale yellow. Blitz for an additional 10 seconds while moving the blender up and down. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with warm water one teaspoon at a time until it coats and sticks to the eggs but is not transparent. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and keep warm.
- Prepare the Poached Eggs: Crack an egg into a small strainer over a bowl and gently strain for 30 seconds to remove watery whites. Transfer the egg to a teacup. Repeat this for all eggs, using separate teacups. Fill a large pot with 7.5 cm (3 inches) of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to a gentle simmer with small bubbles but no big bubbles breaking the surface.
- Poach the Eggs: Submerge a teacup into the water and gently roll the egg from the cup onto the bottom of the pot, minimizing drop distance to keep the eggs neat. Repeat quickly with remaining eggs, adding all within 15 seconds. After 20 seconds, when the eggs start to set, gently turn each egg upside down with a slotted spoon, starting with the first egg in. Poach for a total of 1 1/2 minutes, turning again at 1 minute. The whites should be soft but set; yolks should be runny.
- Drain the Eggs: Lift the eggs gently with a slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain and dry for about 15 seconds. Avoid leaving them too long to prevent them sticking to the towels.
- Assemble the 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 and spoon over warm Hollandaise sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and chives. Serve immediately for best taste and texture.
Notes
- Use fresh, high-quality eggs for the best poaching results.
- When melting butter for the sauce, avoid overheating as it can separate or ‘explode’ in the microwave.
- Poach eggs in batches quickly to maintain water temperature and ensure even cooking.
- Hollandaise sauce can be kept warm for up to 15 minutes but may also be served at room temperature and will warm up on contact with hot eggs.
- Adjust lemon juice and cayenne to taste for desired tang and spice level.
- Paper towels are used briefly to dry poached eggs to avoid sogginess but should not be left too long to prevent eggs sticking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Eggs Benedict, Hollandaise Sauce, Poached Eggs, Breakfast, Brunch, Classic Recipe
