Salmon Benedict Recipe

Toast and prep

Split the English muffins and toast until golden. Spread about 1/2 tbs softened butter on each toasted half while warm.

Prepare spinach and tomato

Lightly wilt the baby spinach: heat a small nonstick skillet over medium for 1 minute, add spinach and toss until just wilted, about 30–45 seconds. Season with a pinch of salt and remove. Thinly slice the tomato into 4 slices.

Arrange salmon and capers

On each toasted muffin half, place a small handful of wilted spinach, then arrange 60 g (about half) of the honey-smoked salmon over the spinach. Top salmon with tomato slices and scatter 1/2 tsp capers per muffin half (total 1 tsp). Keep warm.

Set up a double boiler

Bring 2–3 cm of water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Use a heatproof bowl that sits over the pan without touching the water.

Whisk yolks

In the heatproof bowl, whisk together 3 egg yolks, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp hot water until slightly thickened and pale.

Cook gently

Place the bowl over the barely simmering water and whisk constantly. Be careful the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk until the mixture reaches a warm temperature and becomes slightly thicker (about 2–3 minutes).

Emulsify with butter

Remove the bowl from heat. Very slowly drizzle the warm melted butter into the egg yolk mixture while whisking continuously to create an emulsion. Start drop by drop, then in a thin steady stream as it thickens. If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in up to 1 tsp hot water to loosen.

Season hollandaise

Stir in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper or a pinch of cayenne. Taste and adjust lemon or salt as needed. Keep sauce warm (not hot) by placing the bowl in a warm area or over the still-warm pan off heat. Hold for up to 30 minutes, whisking before using.

Prepare poaching water

Fill a saucepan with 8–10 cm of water and bring to a gentle simmer (not a boil). Add 1 tbs white vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Reduce heat so the surface has small movement but no vigorous bubbles.

Poach the eggs

Crack each egg into a small cup. Create a gentle whirlpool in the water with a spoon and slip one egg into the center; repeat with the second egg. Poach for 3 minutes for runny yolks or 3.5–4 minutes for slightly more set yolks. Use a slotted spoon to lift and gently blot on a paper towel to remove excess water.

Assemble the Benedicts

Place each assembled muffin half (spinach, salmon, tomato, capers) on a plate. Gently sit one poached egg on each muffin half.

Sauce and garnish

Ladle 2–3 tbs of warm hollandaise sauce over each poached egg. Sprinkle chopped chives over the sauce, finish with a grind of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Serve

Serve immediately while eggs and sauce are warm. Leftover hollandaise can be kept warm for up to 30 minutes and gently re-whisked before using.