Eggs Benedict has to be my all-time favorite breakfast and brunch food. It’s the perfect decadent, creamy and rich bite. You have the crunchy texture of English muffin with the salty bite from the ham and topped with the creamy, runny egg and hollandaise sauce. It just doesn’t get any better. Because it’s so rich, I don’t enjoy it as often as I like, but it does find it’s way to my table on special occasions such as Easter, Mother’s Day and other family gatherings.
HERE’S HOW I MAKE THEM
This recipe has a few moving components that come together at the same time. It’s important to have all the ingredients ready to go and the eggs and butter at room temperature so you can quickly move from one step to the next.
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in the slot above center. Slice and place the English muffins on a baking sheet and set aside. Prepare each egg in a ramekin and prepare the pan with water and distilled vinegar. Poach the eggs and place the English muffins in the oven and toast until golden, no more than five minutes. If pressed for time, you can broil the bread, but don’t walk away. They crisp up very fast. If only making one or two, you can also use a toaster.
Note: Here’s my detailed blog post on How To Poach An Egg as a reference, if needed.
While the eggs are poaching, make the Hollandaise Sauce in a blender. In a dry non-stick skillet, place the ham pieces and sear for a few minutes on each side, just until they are warm and have a golden hue. This is my personal preference so every layer is warm, but you can skip this step if you like. I don’t do this with prosciutto or salmon.
Note: If you’re not serving extra Hollandaise Sauce at the table, you can leave it in the blender until you plate the Eggs Benedict.
Remove the English muffin from the oven and plate them. Top the muffins with the seared ham. Remove the poached egg from the water with a slotted spoon, one at a time, and place the spoon on a paper towel to remove any excess water. You may also want to slightly tilt the egg toward the paper towel to drain any water on top of the egg. Nestle the egg on the ham and top with a tablespoon of Hollandaise sauce. You can garnish with chopped parsley and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
The Eggs Benedict are served here with Skillet Fingerling Home Fries and a simple mixed greens salad dressed with a Classic French Vinaigrette. This is so delicious, it’s restaurant quality and the perfect dish for your next brunch! Enjoy friends!
Classic Eggs Benedict
Perfectly poached eggs nestled over ham on an English muffin and topped with a delicious Hollandaise sauce! The perfect brunch recipe, this is a restaurant quality keeper recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 English muffins, sliced
- 4 Canadian ham slices can also use prosciutto or smoked salmon
- Hollandaise sauce (recipe in notes)
- garnish with cayenne pepper
POACHING THE EGGS
- water
- 2 Tablespoons distilled vinegar
- 4 extra large eggs, room temperature prefer Eggland's Best
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F and place oven rack above the center position. Slice English muffins and place them on a baking sheet, set aside.
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When you place the eggs in the water to poach, toast the bread in the oven make the Hollandaise sauce and sear the ham on a dry skillet (optional).
POACHING THE EGGS
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Fill a pan with enough water to cover the eggs, about 3 inches. Add distilled vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the water is simmering, reduce heat to low.
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Crack each egg into a small sieve over a ramekin bowl. Discard the thin watery liquid in the ramekin and transfer the egg from the sieve into the ramekin.
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Gently place the ramekin in the hot water and tilt the egg to release it. The hot water will immediately begin to cook the egg white and the egg will begin to cook in place. Repeat this step with the other eggs. Cook for a few minutes until desired doneness.
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When the eggs are cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and drain the excess water onto a paper towel. You may need to slightly tilt the spoon if the egg has any water on top.
ASSEMBLY
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Remove the English muffins from the oven onto the plate and place a slice of ham on the bread.
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Nestle a poached egg on the ham and top with Hollandaise sauce. Garnish with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Serve any extra sauce on the side.
Recipe Notes
Hollandaise Sauce
3 extra large egg yolks
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (prefer Diamond brand)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 stick unsalted butter, melted (prefer Plugra or Kerrygold butter)
1 Tablespoon tarragon or parsley, minced
In a blender, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, kosher salt and black pepper. With the blender running, slowly drizzle the melted butter. The butter will emulsify the eggs and thicken the mixture. At the end add the fresh herbs and pulse to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a teaspoon of hot water at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
Double the sauce if making more than 4 portions.
