American · Breakfast · Hard
Eggs Benedict
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Eggs Benedict, in 5 ideas
- Keep the hollandaise warm, not hot. Too much heat scrambles the yolks. If it breaks, whisk in a spoonful of hot water to bring it back.
- The vinegar helps, the swirl is optional. A tablespoon of vinegar firms the whites faster. The swirl looks fancy but fresh eggs do not need it.
- Toast the muffins in butter. It takes 2 extra minutes and adds a richness that dry-toasted muffins cannot match.
- Assemble at the last second. Have everything ready before the eggs go in. Benedict goes from perfect to lukewarm in 3 minutes.
- Swap the bacon. Smoked salmon makes Eggs Royale, sauteed spinach makes Eggs Florentine. The method is the same.
What you need
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, very fresh
- 2 English muffins, split
- 4 slices Canadian bacon
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted and hot
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp butter, for toasting
- Chopped chives, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Make the hollandaise first so it stays warm. Whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt in a heatproof bowl until pale and slightly thickened.
- Set the bowl over barely simmering water (do not let it touch). Drizzle in the hot melted butter drop by drop at first, whisking constantly, then in a slow stream until thick and glossy.
- Whisk in the cayenne. Taste for lemon and salt. Keep warm (not hot) by setting the bowl over the warm water, off the heat. If it gets too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water.
- Bring a wide pot of water to a bare simmer with the vinegar. Crack each egg into a small cup first.
- Swirl the water gently, slide in the eggs one or two at a time, and poach 3 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
- Meanwhile, toast the English muffins in butter until golden. Warm the Canadian bacon in the same pan until lightly browned on both sides.
- Assemble: muffin half, Canadian bacon, poached egg. Spoon hollandaise generously over each.
- Finish with chives and serve immediately. Hollandaise waits for no one.
Fresh eggs poach cleanly, old eggs turn to wisps. The whites of a fresh egg hold tight around the yolk. Check the date; this is the dish where it matters most.