Eggs Benedict

I've been making eggs benedict for weekend breakfasts over the last few weeks and its wonderful!

It's easy if you buy premade Hollandaise sauce (don't try any powdered mix!), but not that difficult to make the sauce yourself at least with some practice.

What you'll need:

4 Eggs (Jumbo if you can get them)
Vinegar (white wine if you have it)
2 English Muffins
Canadian Bacon (known as back bacon outside the U.S.)
Salt


For the sauce:

either prepared store-bought Hollandaise sauce or

2 egg yolks
Stick of butter (1/2 cup)
Lemon Juice and/or white wine vinegar
salt
cayenne pepper
black pepper
(I like to throw in some thyme, parsley, and/or rosemary too)

Halve and toast muffins, cook bacon. Meanwhile, boil about 2 - 3 inches of water along with a teaspoon of salt in a straight-sided skillet or other pan that has a tight-fitting lid. Crack eggs into individual cups. Add 1 tablespoon vinegar to boiling water and turn heat to low. Working quickly, gently slip cup with egg into water one by one allowing egg to gently flow out into the pan holding its shape as best as possible. Cover pan and let cook for 3 - 4 minutes depending on how cooked you want the yolk to be. Remove and drain eggs.

If you need to make your own sauce, you need to have started a small saucepan filled with about an inch or two of water boiling on the stove and found a glass bowl that will cover it to make a double boiler (the bottom of the bowl should NOT touch the boiling water.) Put 2 - 3 egg yolks in the glass bowl along with 2 tablespoons total of lemon juice and/or white wine vinegar (I use one tablespoon of each). Add salt, black pepper, cayenne, and herbs to taste. Thoroughly melt one stick of butter in the microwave. Place glass bowl over boiling water beating yolks constantly with a wire whisk. Slowly begin beating in melted butter a bit at a time until all the butter is incorporated and the sauce becomes thick and creamy. Do not overcook sauce or it will curdle and separate.

Assemble dish by placing muffins cut side up on plates, covering with several slices of Canadian bacon, then poached egg, then smother in Hollandaise sauce.

Serve with salad or fried homestyle potatoes.


The hardest part is making the sauce. You have to make it as late as possible because it tends to separate if you leave it sit.

[edit on 1/23/2006 by djohnsto77]

Man I love Eggs Benedict and the many variations of!

Dj, I find the powdered hollandaise mix not too bad. I've never seen pre-made hollandaise at the store.

Peace

I've cooked this a thousand times back in the day when I cooked the breakfast shift in a hotel, but it's been so many years.

I used to put the eggs on the griddle, but under a lid with a bit of water to give them that poached appearance. And just a pinch of celery salt.

I always made my hollandaise from scratch and I used "pea meal bacon", fried hot and fast.
(I think that's what the Americans call Canadian Bacon)

I always served them on freshly baked baking powder biscuits made with bacon fat, slathered in butter, and toasted on the griddle. Yummmmmm.


Now that you've posted this recipe, I know I'll be making it sometime this week. And I'll sit very quietly so I can hear my arteries slamming shut.

Thanks..........

[edit on 23/1/2006 by anxietydisorder]

Originally posted by anxietydisorder


I always made my hollandaise from scratch and I used "pea meal bacon", fried hot and fast.
(I think that's what the Americans call Canadian Bacon)

I always served them on freshly baked baking powder biscuits made with bacon fat, slathered in butter, and toasted on the griddle. Yummmmmm.

Make me some, too, will ya?

Canadian bacon is peameal bacon, yes. But in the US it doesn't normall have the peameal on the outside

I haven't had a good Eggs Benedict in a while.

Oh, ya. This is a reserve avatar of mine I can't help but sharing with you. It's perfect

Take a looksee at how Brennans in New Orleans approaches this dish. Brennans is the best breakfast/brunch in the world!!!

EGGS SARDOU
Poached eggs on artichoke
bottoms nestled in a bed of
creamed spinach and covered
with Hollandaise sauce
Suggested Wine - Fume Blanc
29.00 / Bottle EGGS BAYOU LAFOURCHE
Poached eggs atop Andouille
Cajun sausage and Holland
rusks. Topped with
Hollandaise sauce.
Suggested Wine - Gewurztraminer 28.00 / Bottle
EGGS BENEDICT
A traditional dish of poached
eggs atop Holland rusks and
Canadian bacon, Topped
with Hollandaise sauce.
Suggested Wine - Byron Chardonnay
47.00 / Bottle EGGS ST. CHARLES
Poached eggs atop
delicately fried trout with
Hollandaise sauce.
Suggested Wine - Fume Blanc
29.00 / Bottle
EGGS HUSSARDE
(A Brennan's Original)
One of the dishes that put
"Breakfast at Brennan's" on
the map. Poached eggs atop
Holland rusks, Canadian bacon
and Marchand de Vin sauce.
Topped with Hollandaise sauce.
Suggested Wine - Sauvignon Blanc
30.00 / Bottle OYSTERS BENEDICT
Fresh Gulf oysters fried to
perfection and served on
Canadian bacon with
Hollandaise sauce.
Suggested Wine - Gewurztraminer
28.00 / Bottle
SHRIMP SARDOU
Deliciously spicy fried shrimp
atop sliced artichoke bottoms
nestled in a bed of creamed
spinach and covered with
Hollandaise sauce.
Suggested Wine - Sauvignon Blanc
30.00 / Bottle EGGS ELLEN
Grilled filet of salmon topped
with poached eggs and
Hollandaise sauce.
Suggested Wine - Gewurztraminer
28.00 / Bottle
EGGS OWEN
We start with a fine beef hash,
then add poached eggs and top
with Marchand de Vin sauce.
Suggested Wine - Piesporter
29.00 / Bottle EGGS SHANNON
Poached eggs atop fried
trout, served in a bed of
creamed spinach and topped
with Hollandaise sauce.
Suggested Wine - Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay
43.00 / Bottle
EGGS PORTUGUESE
Flaky pastry shells filled with
freshly chopped tomatoes
sautéed in butter with parsley
and shallots. Topped with
poached eggs and covered
with Hollandaise sauce.
Suggested Wine - Robert Mondavi Chardonnay
47.00 / Bottle EGGS NOUVELLE ORLÉANS
(add $5.00)
Poached eggs served
on a bed of lump
crabmeat topped with
a brandy-cream sauce.
Suggested Wine - Sauvignon Blanc
30.00 / Bottle

Link: www.brennansneworleans.com...

Peace

[edit on 24-1-2006 by Dr Love]

I get to eat anxietydisorder's cooking everyday, though he's never made me eggs benedict. Now that he's posted that he's going to make them this week I'll hold him to that promise. Maybe I can even wrangle the eggs being served to me in bed with a glass of orange juice mixed with champagne.

anxiety loves to cook, and dances circles around me in the kitchen.
He's out there making bread right now.

Maybe parrhesia and Dr Love could come for breakfast on Saturday.

I'll be there in spirit.

This thread's making me freakin' hungry.

I'm going to make Eggs Benedict for my g/f this Sunday.

Peace

Originally posted by Country Soul
Maybe parrhesia and Dr Love could come for breakfast on Saturday.

You're in Canada, huh? Where abouts?

I'm in Toronto. If you're close, I'll see ya Saturday.

This thread's making me hungry, too. Not for eggs benedict, though. I feel like indian food.

Originally posted by parrhesia

Originally posted by Country Soul
Maybe parrhesia and Dr Love could come for breakfast on Saturday.

You're in Canada, huh? Where abouts?

I'm in Toronto. If you're close, I'll see ya Saturday.

I didn't want to log out Country Soul and log in again for my acct.
But this is anxietydisorder............


parrhesia, you are welcome in our home anytime.
I'd love to cook you a nice meal and sit down over a few drinks.

I'm thinking leg of lamb and my own version of tzatziki sauce.
We could shave the lamb, spoon in some sauce, and roll it up in tortillas.
Kinda like a gyro, but my version bites back because of the fresh garlic and hot peppers.

But if not, I really hope the Toronto Meet happens. It would be interesting to see members face to face, and be able to put a personality behind the words on the page.

I have to get the oven preheated, the bread is ready to go in.

anxietydisorder.................

I've had some good powdered sauce, but I will have to try to make it per your instructions. I've not had eggs cooked in this manner either, so that will be a new variation to try. Eggs Benedict are good.

Maybe with some corned beef and hash instead of potato, yikes, that'd be good.