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Eggs Benedict

Source of Recipe

From "An Unapologetic Cookbook" by Joshua Weissman


Recipe Introduction

"Let's not go too far off the beaten path here. This is a hotel banquet classic. Everyone should know how to poach an egg. It can be intimidating, but like many things, you just gotta commit to the movement; don't be timid. I'll make it easy on you with a simple blender-style hollandaise."

List of Ingredients

Hollandaise:
â—¦ ½ cup salted butter
â—¦ 3 large egg yolks
â—¦ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
â—¦ ½ teaspoon cayenne
â—¦ Kosher salt, to taste

â—¦ Splash of distilled white vinegar
â—¦ 4 large eggs
â—¦ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 4 slices Canadian bacon
â—¦ 2 English muffins, toasted
â—¦ Cayenne, for sprinkling (optional)
â—¦ ¼ cup very thinly sliced chives
â—¦ Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste


Recipe

Make the hollandaise. In a small saucepan, gently heat the butter over low heat until it's just melted and then remove from the heat. (We don't want it ripping hot—just melted.)

To a high-powered blender, add the egg yolks and lemon juice. Blend on high speed until the yolks begin to thicken slightly and turn a lighter color. While blending on high speed, slowly stream in the melted butter. Start with a few drops of butter at first, and work your way up to a solid stream. Once you've streamed in all the butter, you should have a thick and emulsified hollandaise sauce. If it's too thick, just blend in lemon juice a little bit at a time until it's the desired consistency. Add the cayenne, and season to taste with salt. Keep warm, and set aside.

Make the poached eggs. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a very gentle boil over medium heat. Add a splash of vinegar to the boiling water. Once it's gently boiling, crack an egg into a ramekin. Using a spoon, swirl the boiling water around in a circular motion in one direction to create a whirlpool and let the white naturally wrap around itself. Let it settle in the gently simmering water and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, or until the white is cooked but the yolk is still runny. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, and place on a paper towel to drain. Repeat with the rest of the eggs, cooking one at a time.

While the eggs are cooking, in a separate pan or on a griddle, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until ripping hot. Add the Canadian bacon, and sear for 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned.

To assemble each serving, place a toasted English muffin half on a serving plate. Top with a slice of Canadian bacon and one poached egg, and drizzle on the desired amount of hollandaise. Top with cayenne (if using), chives, and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Serves 2 to 4