Eggs Benedict

I have a thing for eggs benedict.

I can't really pinpoint the date it started, but it showed up fast and strong. Serve it with some home fries and you've gotta a happy girl.

Making it, though? Whoa there. Don't get too extreme on me. How on earth could I poach an egg at home? Wouldn't I mess it up? I'm not even good at sunny side up! That is at least partially due to an instilled nervousness about under-cooked eggs, but I have learned to recognize over time that pasteurization is a wondrous thing and allows me to experiment. In a safety net.

I knew the basic principle of poached eggs: cooking them in water. But there had to be some fancy equipment required, some out of reach item that stood in my way? Not really.

There are three parts to eggs benedict: (1) poached eggs, (2) english muffin, and (3) HOLLANDAISE!

After doing some reading on the matter (on a few sites, actually), my big takeaways were to put the cracked egg into a a small bowl before dumping into the water, use a slotted/strainer spoon, and add vinegar to the water.

Now my photos of this process came our horrendous, which I am most certain you will find acceptable given that my bravery in attempting this one. So we are going to go through this with my emphatic descriptions only.

First things first: the water. I heated a medium saucepan with water to boiling, then added about 1 tablespoon of vinegar. At this point I was on medium heat. I cracked the egg open into a small bowl, then dumped it into the boiling water. One of the things I encountered right away was the thinner part of the yolk creating a ghost-like egg in my pan. After taming the ghoul, I just gently scooped off this part to separate it from the rest. Though you can strain the thinner part of the egg white out prior to cooking, I did not find this part all too challenging. Anywhere from 3-4 minutes is enough to give a nice solid egg white exterior and that slightly runny interior (also known as the best part). I cooked my eggs one at a time, because worrying about one egg outside of my body is enough on the first go. It is definitely possible to do 2 or 3 at a time, though (advanced users only).

Next was time for the Hollandaise. Far more basic than expected, Hollandaise is just egg yolks,
butter, and lemon juice with a bit of seasoning. Yes, all of those years of wonder and it's just that. I saw a couple of recipes, not all of which called for cooking the sauce. I mentioned my concerns about raw eggs earlier, and really preferred it cooked. Fortunately, I found one that called for cooking the sauce in a double boiler.

I put two egg yolks and lemon juice in my little blender and whipped them for about 30 seconds and melted some butter in the microwave. Because I'm always looking to save a pan, I left the egg water on medium and put a double boiler pan over it. Whisk in hand, I dumped the egg yolks into the pan and whisked away. This is important; letting them sit can and will result in scrambled egg yolks (I would know, I did this first and had to do round two thanks to being distracted by my camera). While whisking, slowly pour in the melted butter and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the mixture increases in volume (approximately double). Then, I stirred in the cayenne pepper and salt.

For this version, I cooked some asparagus in a small amount of avocado oil and pepper on the stove rather than using potatoes.  I was already wrecking my diet with Hollandaise; the asparagus just softened the blow a bit.

Upon the bed of asparagus I laid two toasted english muffins, then added my poached eggs, and finally topped it all off with that warm Hollandaise. Stunning.

Sure enough, I wound up with a thick but runny egg yolk. This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for whatever reason in my adult years I have really grown to appreciate an english muffin soaked in egg yolk.

Talk about hitting the spot. Breakfast for dinner was great, and I learned how to do something new at the same time. Happy Hollandaise!

Eggs Benedict Recipe

Ingredients:
For the poached eggs:
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vinegar

For the Hollandaise:
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 toasted english muffin

Instructions:
To make the poached eggs, heat a pot of water to boiling; this should be at least 2 and a half inches deep. Add vinegar. Reduce heat to medium. Crack one egg into a small bowl, then pour into the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then remove with a strainer spoon. Place on a paper towel to dry. Repeat with second egg.

For the Hollandaise, add egg yolks and lemon juice into a small blender. Mix for 30 seconds until the eggs are well beaten and the mixture is airy and fluffy. Place a double boiler pan over the boiling water (draining water if necessary so that the bottom of the pan is not touching the water), then add in the egg yolks and whisk constantly. Slowly pour in melted butter and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce doubles in volume.

To make the eggs Benedict, place each half of the toasted English muffin on a plate. Add one poached egg to each, then top with Hollandaise.


adapted from poached eggs and hollandaise sauce