Ingredients
4 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp. butter
4 slices Canadian bacon
2 English muffins, split and toasted
1 tbsp. warm water
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted
Chopped fresh chives, for serving
Preparation
Step 1Poach eggs: Fill a large saucepan with 2 inches water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a bare simmer. Break 1 egg into a small bowl and gently tip into the pan. Use a spatula to gently lift the egg from the bottom of the pan. Repeat with remaining 3 eggs and cook until the whites are just set, but the yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.Step 2In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add Canadian bacon and cook, flipping once, until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes. Step 3Arrange bacon on top of English muffin halves and top with poached eggs.Step 4Make sauce: In a blender, combine egg yolks, water, lemon juice, and salt and blend until frothy. With blender running, pour in hot melted butter in a very thin stream, blending until sauce is thick and emulsified. Step 5Spoon sauce over eggs. Sprinkle with chives and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Eggs Benedict is a traditional breakfast dish composed of an English muffin topped with Canadian ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. It’s the latter that gives Eggs Benedict its reputation for being difficult. Hollandaise is an emulsion of egg yolks, melted butter, and lemon juice. (The yolks have a tendency to scramble.) Can I leave out the Canadian ham? Yes, you can substitute regular bacon, ham, or sausage patties. Or, if you want to leave the meat out entirely, consider subbing in sauteed kale or spinach instead. If you go this route, you’ll actually be making eggs Florentine, which is a variation on eggs Benedict. The only difference between the two is (you guessed it) that eggs Florentine uses sauteed spinach instead of bacon.How do you poach eggs?Like making hollandaise, poaching eggs has the reputation for being tricky. There are three keys to success: crack your eggs one at a time into a fine mesh strainer to get rid of those excess egg white tendrils; add a little vinegar to the poaching water to help the egg coagulate (more on that below); and keep your pot of water at a bare simmer (as opposed to vigorously boiling) so it cooks the egg gently and evenly. If you have more questions, check out our easy guide for more help. Why do people add vinegar when poaching eggs? Vinegar helps the egg white solidify more quickly. You know those weird egg white tails that stream out behind the eggs when they’re poached? Vinegar helps prevent those from happening. Don’t worry if you don’t want to use it. Your eggs will still come out beautifully. And if they have a few trailing tail bits, you can just snip those off with a pair of scissors. No one will know. Are the poached eggs supposed to be runny? What if I want them cooked more?Traditionally, poached eggs are runny, and in our opinion it’s the best way to enjoy them. (Runny yolk + creamy sauce = perfection.) However, if you would prefer your egg yolk cooked more, just leave it in the simmering water a little longer. Can I make the poached eggs so I don’t have to do them at the last minute? Of course. Poach them just as you normally would, then plunge them into an ice water bath as soon as they come out of the simmering water. Once they’re completely cool, lift them out of the ice water and refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to serve, you can reheat them gently in a pot of hot (but not boiling.) water for a few minutes, just to heat them through. This is a great, no-stress way to do eggs Benedict for a crowd, but if you’d like to try another approach, make our Eggs Benedict Casserole instead. Hosting a big crowd? Try our Eggs Benedict Casserole instead. Made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
