Eggs Benedict

5 from 2 votes

Eggs Benedict with creamy hollandaise, soft poached eggs, and golden toasted muffins is a brunch favourite for a reason!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Melt butter: On a low - medium heat in a small pot, preferably with a lip, melt the butter. Do not let the butter brown.
Make sauce: Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and place the egg yolks into a large bowl with the vinegar and water. Whisk until frothy and doubled in size. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling hot water that is off the heat, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water, and pour the butter in a very slow and steady stream. Add the butter in tablespoon increments and whisk vigorously in between each pour to fully incorporate the butter. If your sauce is getting too thick, take the bowl off the heat or if it needs to slightly thicken leave it on the heat. You should be left with a thick, glossy and smooth texture.
Season: Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk through the lemon juice and salt

Boil water: Bring a pot of boiling hot water to the boil then reduce the heat to low so the water is at a simmer.
Strain egg: While waiting for the water to boil, crack an egg into a fine mesh strainer to remove the loose egg whites.
Poach egg: Stir the vinegar into the water and create a whirlpool by using a whisk. Drop the egg into the centre of the whirlpool and cook for 2 minutes. If you are cooking multiple eggs at the same time, slightly push the first egg to the side and gently create a whirlpool for the second egg to be dropped into.
Drain: Scoop the egg out and place onto a piece of absorbent paper to drain the excess water.
Assemble and serve: Assemble your egg benedict by toasting the english muffins and topping with slices of smoked salmon or shaved ham, followed by the poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Finish off with a sprinkling of freshly cracked pepper and fresh chives.

Expert tips:

Start with good quality ingredients. Use fresh eggs and high-quality butter for the best flavour and texture.

Slowly add the butter. When making hollandaise, add your melted butter very slowly to the egg yolk mixture to prevent the sauce from breaking. What happens if it breaks? Don't worry as I've got you covered below in my FAQs.

Control the consistency. Whisk over heat to thicken your sauce or off the heat for a thinner consistency. I like to bring a pot of water to the boil, remove it from the heat, and use the steam to gently cook the sauce—no need to keep it boiling as this could potentially scramble the eggs.

Season well. Finish your sauce with a generous pinch of salt and a good squeeze of lemon juice to balance the richness.

Use a fine mesh strainer for your eggs. Crack your egg into a strainer to remove any loose whites, which can create a frothy mess when poaching.

Simmer, don’t boil. Bring your water to a boil, then reduce it to a gentle simmer before adding the egg.

Skip the whirlpool if you like. It’s mostly for presentation. But if you do want to use it, a whisk helps create the perfect swirl.

Poach for 2 - 3 minutes. This gives you a soft, runny yolk. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and drain it on absorbent paper.

Use fridge-cold eggs. This affects the cooking time, so make sure to adjust accordingly if your eggs are at room temperature.