Eggs Benedict Recipe
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This classic Eggs Benedict Recipe with English muffins, poached eggs, Canadian bacon, and hollandaise sauce is the perfect elegant breakfast. If you’re looking to impress some friends and family, then this easy-to-make recipe is for you.
There’s just something about making breakfast and serving it to family and friends. It’s so comforting, always delicious, and one of my favorite meals of the day. If you want to try some new exciting recipes, then definitely check out my Frittata Recipe or Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe!
Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict is a common breakfast or brunch dish of toasted English muffin halves topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce. It’s simple to prepare a meal with few ingredients but is considered a fancier dish to serve.
There are a few stories out there about how Eggs Benedict was founded. The first is from the 1860s when Mrs. LeGrand Benedict went into the first fine dining establishment, Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York, and didn’t like what was on the menu. She demanded the chef make her something else, and poof, out came what we know as the traditional recipe.
The second version of the origin story is said to have happened in the late 1890s when Mr. Lemuel Benedict was hungover and went into the Waldorf Hotel in NYC and told them to stack up some toast, bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise. Regardless of how and when it was created, this is a great recipe to master for home cooks since one of the making components, hollandaise, is one of the classic five mother sauces.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Eggs – large eggs that are chilled or at room temperature will work.
- Lemon – Some freshly squeezed lemon juice is needed for flavor and emulsifying.
- Wine – This is optional, but I love the flavor and fluffiness texture white wine adds to the sauce. Any dry white wine like chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio will work.
- Butter — I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking to control the sodium content. It is best to use clarified butter, but you can also use melted butter.
- English Muffin – A simple pre-made or homemade English muffin that is sliced in half and toasted is what’s needed.
- Bacon — The traditional meat used is Canadian bacon. However, you can substitute ham or even bacon.
- Spices – It is classic to finish hollandaise with a dash of cayenne. This is optional.
How to Make Eggs Benedict
Whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice and wine in a large metal bowl until it becomes frothy, about 2 minutes.
Add the bowl to a double boiler over low to medium heat and whisk vigorously until it is very foamy and no egg liquid at the bottom of the bowl. This takes 3 to 4 minutes.
Whisk while slowly drizzling in the clarified butter until it is completely emulsified.
Remove from the double boiler, season with salt and cayenne, and set it aside.
Add some vinegar to a medium-size pot with water and simmer over low to medium heat.
Stir the water using a spoon for 10 seconds to create a vortex. Add 1 egg to the center of it so the whites of the egg wrap around the yolk. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the egg whites are cooked but the yolk is runny.
Remove the egg and season with salt and pepper. Repeat 5 more times with the rest of the eggs. You can also follow my poached eggs recipe for multiple eggs at once.
Place the toasted English muffin halves on a plate and layer on with the Canadian bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and garnish of cayenne.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as the eggs are done poaching.
How to Store: It’s best to keep all the ingredients separate and covered for up to 3 days. This recipe will not freeze well.
How to Reheat: Reheat the hollandaise in a double boiler while vigorously whisking. You can re-poach the egg in simmering water for 1 to 2 minutes to reheat and re-toast the English muffin.
Chef Notes + tips
- You can optionally finish off the eggs benedict with a garnish of minced fresh parsley, chives, or both.
- The hollandaise will hold up to 30 minutes in a thick ceramic pot covered.
- Feel free to use those individual egg poacher products or individual baskets in a large pot of boiling water.
More Breakfast Recipes
Video
Eggs Benedict Recipe
Ingredients
For the Hollandaise:
- 4 egg yolks
- juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup chardonnay wine
- 4-6 ounces clarified butter
- coarse salt and cayenne to taste
For the Eggs benedict:
- 8 eggs
- 8 toasted English muffin halves
- 8 slices Canadian bacon, heated
- chopped fresh parsley and chives for garnish, optional
- coarse salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Hollandaise:
- Whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice and wine in a large metal bowl until it becomes frothy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the bowl to a double boiler over low to medium heat and whisk vigorously until it is very foamy and no egg liquid at the bottom of the bowl. This takes 3 to 4 minutes.
- Whisk while slowly drizzling in the clarified butter until it is completely emulsified. Remove from the double boiler, season with salt and cayenne, and set it aside.
Poached Eggs:
- Add some vinegar to a medium-size pot with water and simmer over low to medium heat.
- Stir the water using a spoon for 10 seconds to create a vortex. Add 1 egg to the center of it so the whites of the egg wrap around the yolk. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the egg whites are cooked but the yolk is runny.
- Remove the egg and season with salt and pepper. Repeat 7 more times with the rest of the eggs. You can also follow my poached egg recipe for multiple eggs at once.
- Place the toasted English muffin halves on a plate and layer on with the Canadian bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and garnish of cayenne.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. Being Canadian, we love this bacon. This is one of my husband’s favourite breakfast foods when we travel. I am going to make this for him for his 80th birthday on Saturday! He will be a happy camper!
Thank you for giving it a shot!
Delicious of course, but I can’t make a good Poached Egg. I have tried and tried and they never come out good for me. It is my most favorite way to have eggs too.
This looks gorgeous and so delicious…
Thank you so much for this delicious breakfast. I’d give it a perfect 10.
Thanks for giving it a shot!!
Thank you gosh this is tasty delicious ChefBilly😁😋🤩💯
Exactly how I make mine, eggs must have runny yolk and Canadian Bacon a must, accept no substitutions like blue crab, minced shrimp, caviar, etc.
This is m favorite breakfast. I love all of Billie’s recipes.