The Perfect Eggs Benedict

3.5 from 11 ratings

While the dish's history is muddled, it doesn't take away from the fact that it's delicious. To make the perfect one, you have to remember the four components of the dish: the bread, the meat, the egg, and the sauce. As long as you follow the basic principles behind each of these, you can create any type of eggs Benedict you crave — just make sure it has hollandaise.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
2 lemon juice or vinegar
2 eggs
2 pieces canadian bacon
1 english muffin, halved, toasted, and buttered
paprika, for garnish
chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Don’t stir as it melts. You want the milky solids to fall to the bottom and the butter fat to float to the top. Keep warm.
Pour water to a depth of 1-2 inches into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Rest a medium stainless-steel bowl in the pan over (not touching) the water. Put the egg yolks, lemon juice, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt in the bowl and start whisking. As the bowl heats up, the yolks will begin to thicken. Whisk vigorously, scraping around the bowl with a heat-resistant rubber spatula from time to time so that bits of yolk don’t get stuck and overcook. Beat until thick and frothy but not quite fluffy, 3-4 minutes. The whisk will start leaving a clear space on the bottom of the bowl. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk for another 30 seconds or so to stabilize the sauce and let the bowl cool down.
Continue whisking as you slowly drizzle in the warm melted butter, taking care not to add the milky-watery layer from the bottom of the pan. As you pour and whisk, make sure the yolks are accepting the butter and the yolks and butter are emulsifying. If the sauce looks at all broken or "curdly," stop adding butter and just whisk for a few seconds. Only resume adding butter once you’ve whisked the sauce into creaminess again.
Bring a large deep pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1-2 tablespoons of acid to the water. As soon as the water reaches a rolling boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Crack the eggs, 1 at a time, into a bowl and then add to the simmering water. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the eggs are cooked through and white all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and fry the Canadian bacon, about 2 minutes per side, until heated through and crisp and brown on both sides. Place a piece of bacon on each of the muffin halves, then top with the poached eggs and a drizzle of hollandaise sauce. Garnish with paprika and chives.