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Ingredients
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Hollandaise Sauce
Poached Eggs
Assembly & Base
Method
Hollandaise Sauce
- 1
Clarify butter
Melt the 6 tbsp unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat until fully melted and the white milk solids separate. Skim off foam and carefully pour the clear yellow butterfat into a heatproof measuring cup, leaving solids behind. Keep warm but not hot.
- 2
Prepare double boiler
Bring a small pot of water to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil). Place a heatproof bowl over the pot so the bottom does not touch the water.
- 3
Whisk yolks
In the heatproof bowl, whisk together 3 large egg yolks, 1 tsp cold water, and 1 tbsp lemon juice until slightly thickened and pale.
- 4
- 5
- 6
Season
Whisk in 1/4–1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste) and 1/8–1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or a pinch) and an additional 1/2 tsp lemon juice if desired. Keep the hollandaise warm in a thermos or over the warm (not simmering) water, stirring occasionally until ready to serve. Do not overheat or it will break.
Poached Eggs
- 7
Prepare poaching liquid
Fill a wide shallow saucepan with 8 cups water, add 2 tsp white vinegar and 1/2 tsp salt, and bring to a gentle simmer. You should see small bubbles but not a rolling boil.
- 8
Create vortex
Using a spoon, stir the water in one direction to create a gentle whirlpool. This helps the egg whites wrap around the yolk when you add the eggs.
- 9
Crack and poach eggs
Crack each of the 4 large eggs into a small ramekin or cup. One at a time, gently slip an egg into the center of the vortex. Poach for 3–3.5 minutes for runny yolks or 4 minutes for slightly firmer yolks. For multiple eggs, poach 2 at a time in separate spots if your pan allows, keeping the other eggs in their cups.
- 10
Assembly & Base
- 11
Toast English muffins and heat meat
Split the 2 English muffins and lightly butter each half with the softened 1 tbsp butter. Toast in a skillet or toaster until golden brown. In a separate skillet over medium heat, warm the 4 slices of Canadian bacon or ham for about 1 minute per side until lightly browned and heated through.
- 12
Assemble eggs Benedict
Place the toasted muffin halves on plates. Top each half with a slice of warmed Canadian bacon. Gently place a poached egg on top of each slice of meat (2 eggs per muffin if using 2 muffins split into 4 halves). Spoon a generous 2–3 tbsp of warm hollandaise sauce over each poached egg so it drapes over the sides.
- 13
Garnish and serve
Sprinkle 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives over the eggs and finish with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately while hollandaise and eggs are warm.