Farm House Ham Benedict Recipe

Toast and prepare muffins

Split the English muffins and toast or grill cut-side down in a skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter until golden brown and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side. Keep warm in a low oven (90–100°C / 200°F) while you finish other components.

Warm the ham

In the same skillet, briefly sear the smoked ham slices over medium heat 30–60 seconds per side until warmed and lightly caramelized. Keep warm on a plate in the low oven with the muffins.

Finish and season

When ready to assemble, place one toasted muffin half on each plate, top with a slice of warmed ham, a poached egg, and a generous spoonful of hollandaise. Sprinkle with chopped chives and a grind of black pepper.

Bring a wide, shallow pot of water to a gentle simmer (small bubbles, not a rolling boil). Add 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Reduce heat so the surface is barely moving.

Crack each egg into a small ramekin or cup. Create a gentle whirlpool in the water with a spoon and, one at a time, slip each egg from the ramekin into the center of the vortex. Poach 3–3½ minutes for a soft runny yolk or up to 4 minutes for slightly more set whites.

Use a slotted spoon to lift eggs from the water, drain briefly on a paper towel, and keep warm on a plate placed in the low oven until ready to assemble. If making more than four eggs, poach in batches, keeping earlier eggs in warm water (off heat) to maintain temperature.

Set a heatproof bowl over (not touching) a saucepan of barely simmering water to create a double boiler. Add 3 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon cold water to the bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. Continue whisking over the gentle heat until the yolks thicken and become pale — about 1–2 minutes. Do not let the bowl get too hot or the eggs will scramble.

Remove the bowl from the heat. Very slowly begin to drizzle in the hot melted butter while whisking constantly to emulsify. Start drop by drop for the first 30 seconds, then gradually increase to a thin stream as the sauce thickens. If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen.

Whisk in 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste and adjust seasoning or acidity with an extra ½ teaspoon lemon juice or a small pinch of salt if needed. Keep the hollandaise warm (not hot) by covering and setting the bowl over warm water or in a low oven; avoid temperatures above 60°C (140°F) or it will break.

If the hollandaise begins to separate, rescue it by whisking a teaspoon of boiling water into a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl, then slowly whisking the broken sauce into that yolk to re-emulsify.