EGGS BENEDICT

The Eggs Benedict is a traditional American breakfast/brunch item that consists of toasted English muffins that are topped with poached eggs, bacon/ham, and hollandaise sauce. If you go to any brunch restaurant, this dish will be featured prominently on the menu, along with numerous variations. To name but a few of these, the Eggs Florentine adds spinach, the Eggs Chesapeake adds crab cakes, the Irish Benedict uses corned beef, and the absurdly decadent Eggs Woodhouse from Archer adds Iberico ham, black truffles, kashmiri saffron and caviar.  

The origins of the original Eggs Benedict are actually unclear, but one of the earliest recipes dates back to 1860 at a restaurant in Manhattan called Delmonico’s. However, an interview with Wall Street stock broker, Lemuel Benedict, says that in 1894, he wandered into the Waldorf Hotel and ordered “buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon and a hooker of hollandaise” for his hangover, and the dish henceforth was placed onto the hotel menu.  

This dish is incredibly elegant and decadent, but it is also surprisingly easy to make. The trickiest part lies in the preparation of the poached eggs, as the goal is to ensure that the center is still creamy and flowing. Making good poached eggs requires patience and a watchful eye, but most of all, it requires practice, so you might want to prepare a few extra eggs to crack. I hope you give this dish a try! 

Ingredients 

For the poached eggs 

• 4 large eggs 
• 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar 
• Ladle or ramekin to hold the cracked egg 

For the hollandaise 

• 3 large egg yolks 
• ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, melted 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• Pinch of salt 

• Pinch of cayenne 
• Pinch of paprika  

For assembly 

• 2 English muffins, split 
• 8 slices of ham 

• Chopped chives and green onions for topping 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter  

 

Recipe 

1. To prepare the hollandaise, whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl until the mixture has thickened and almost doubled in volume. Place the steel mixing bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (to create a double boiler effect). Continue to whisk rapidly, taking care not to let the bowl get too hot, otherwise the eggs will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter while whisking, until the sauce has thickened and almost doubled in volume. The sauce should easily coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in cayenne, salt, and paprika. 

2. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready for the eggs benedict. 

3. To poach the eggs, fill a skillet or pot about 2 inches high of water, add in the vinegar and bring the water to barely a boil. Crack the eggs one at a time into the ladle or ramekin, and slowly transfer into the water. Cook the eggs for 3.5 minutes, removing with a slotted spoon and allow to rest on some paper towels.  

4. Toast the English muffin halves in some butter until beautiful crisp and golden brown. 

5. To assemble, lay 2 slices of ham on the muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and then drizzle over copious amounts of Hollandaise sauce. Garnish with chives and spring onions. 

6. Serve and enjoy!