Eggs Benedict – the best weekend brunch ever. This is a delicious restaurant-style dish you can make at home in 50 minutes. Plus, it is easier to make than you think. Besides, our detailed Eggs Benedict recipe allows you to make this dish without any special culinary skills.
Prepare to impress your family and friends with a gourmet brunch experience right in the comfort of your own home with our exquisite Eggs Benedict recipe! This iconic dish, steeped in history and bursting with flavor, is sure to elevate any weekend brunch to new heights. With our easy-to-follow instructions and handy tips, you'll be serving up restaurant-quality Eggs Benedict like a seasoned pro in no time. Get ready to savor every delicious bite!
What is Egg Benedict?
Eggs Benedict is a popular breakfast or brunch dish that consists of poached eggs, Canadian bacon or ham, and a hollandaise sauce served on an English muffin. The origin of the dish is controversial, but one popular theory credits a New York stockbroker by the name of Lemuel Benedict. According to the story, Benedict ordered poached eggs and bacon on toast at the Waldorf Hotel in 1894 and became sufficiently enamored with the dish to suggest substituting English muffin and hollandaise sauce. As a result, the dish was added to the hotel’s menu and became a staple of the breakfast menu.
The creamy hollandaise sauce complements the savory flavors of the poached eggs and bacon for a rich and indulgent taste. The fluffy bread provides a light and airy base. The runny egg yolks add a delicious texture to every bite. All in all, Eggs Benedict is a satisfying and tasty breakfast or brunch option that has stood the test of time.
Ingredients for Eggs Benedict
- Eggs (poached): Poached eggs, when the yolk is perfectly cooked but still runny, are a key component of Eggs Benedict and provide a rich, creamy texture.
- Bread: Served as the base for Eggs Benedict, it provides a firm foundation to support the other ingredients.
- Butter (to brown bread): Butter is used to brown the bread.
- Bacon: Crisp bacon adds a salty and savory element to the dish that complements the other flavors.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Cinnamon sugar adds a hint of sweetness to the bacon.
- Thyme and Rosemary: These herbs are often used to season bacon, adding an aromatic and earthy note to the dish.
- Avocado: Sliced avocado adds a creamy texture and subtle flavor to eggs Benedict, providing a refreshing contrast to the richness of the other ingredients.
- Green Oil: A drizzle of green oil adds freshness and color to a dish.
- Eggs (for sauce): Eggs are an important part of sauce hollandaise, adding richness and helping to emulsify the sauce.
- Butter (for sauce): To make a smooth and creamy sauce Hollandaise, butter is melted and combined with the egg yolks.
- White wine: White wine is typically used in Hollandaise sauce to add acidity and depth of flavor.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is added to the avocado purée to add a subtle fruity flavor.
- Green Onions + Sorrel: These ingredients are garnishes that add color and a hint of oniony or spicy flavor to the finished dish.
How to Make Eggs Benedict?
- First, place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with brown sugar, thyme, and rosemary. Bake bacon for 20 minutes at 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). When done, place on napkins.
- Chop avocado, season with salt and pepper, add olive oil, and mix.
- Then, cut the bread into 2 cm slices. Brown in butter on 2 sides.
- To make the sauce: First, melt the butter. Then, separate the yolks from the whites and place them in a deep bowl. Next, pour water into a bain-marie. Bring to a boil. Whisk the yolks with the wine until smooth. Place in the bain-marie. Add the melted butter in a thin stream, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Then, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap so that it comes in contact with the sauce to prevent it from drying out.
- To poach the eggs: Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Break the eggs into a sieve. Pour off excess water. Then, reduce the heat under the water to a minimum and carefully drop the eggs into the water. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- To assemble: Place the avocado on the bread, make a hollow in the center, and place the egg inside. Place the bacon on the sides and drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with green onions and garnish with sorrel.
Chef Recipe Tips:
- You can use different breads (whole grain, ciabatta, toast, etc.).
- Another way to make poached eggs: add 0,7 ounces (20 g) of vinegar to 1 liter of water, make a vortex, and drive an egg into the water, cook for 3 minutes. This method is simpler.
Make Eggs Benedict Ahead Tips
There are a lot of moving parts to make eggs Benedict. If you want to make a few things ahead, you can poach eggs up to five days in advance. To do this, follow these steps.
- Dunk the eggs in a bowl of ice water when you’re done poaching.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and place them in an airtight container in a single layer. Place in the refrigerator.
- Reheat the pre-poached eggs in a bowl of hot-but-not-boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes just before assembling the eggs Benedict. Take them out, then let them drip off on paper towels or a slice of bread, and continue with the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Eggs Benedict a French dish?
People assume that Eggs Benedict is French because it uses hollandaise sauce (a popular French sauce), but it actually originated in New York, USA.
What is the difference between Eggs Florence and Eggs Benedict?
Eggs Florence has a layer of sautéed spinach under the poached eggs. Otherwise, they are both served on a toasted English muffin and topped with hollandaise sauce.
When do you serve Eggs Benedict?
This is typically served as a breakfast or brunch dish.
What to Serve With Eggs Benedict
Let’s take a look at how to choose sides that complement the flavors of Eggs Benedict while adding variety and balance to the plate.
- To complement its rich and savory flavor, Eggs Benedict is often served with a side of roasted potatoes, hash browns, or home fries.
- A side of fresh fruit can also provide a refreshing contrast to the richness of the dish, such as sliced strawberries, oranges, or melon.
- A side dish of sautéed spinach or steamed asparagus can also add texture and flavor to some variations.
- In addition, to help balance the meal, a simple green salad with a vinaigrette dressing can serve as a light and refreshing accompaniment.
Place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with brown sugar, thyme, and rosemary. Bake for 20 minutes at 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). When done, place on napkins.
Chop avocado, season with salt and pepper, add olive oil, and mix.
Cut the bread into 2 cm slices. Brown in butter on 2 sides.
Make the sauce: Melt the butter. Separate the yolks from the whites and place them in a deep bowl. Pour water into a bain-marie. Bring to a boil. Then, whisk the yolks with the wine until smooth. Place them in the bain-marie. Add the melted butter in a thin stream, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap so that it comes in contact with the sauce to prevent it from drying out.
Poach the eggs: Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Break the eggs into a sieve. Pour off excess water. Reduce the heat under the water to a minimum and carefully drop the eggs into the water. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Assemble: Place the avocado on the bread, make a hollow in the center, and place the egg inside. Place the bacon on the sides and drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with green onions and garnish with sorrel.
To ensure perfectly poached eggs every time, try using the vortex method. Adding a bit of vinegar to the simmering water and creating a gentle vortex with a spoon before dropping in the eggs helps them hold their shape and prevents the whites from spreading out too much. This simple technique results in beautifully cooked poached eggs with a perfectly runny yolk, ideal for topping your Eggs Benedict with style. Enjoy!
