Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce

Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 whole English muffins, split
• 8 slices of Canadian Bacon
• 8 eggs + 4 egg yolks
• 3 Tbls lemon juice (fresh is best but use what you have)
• 1 cup + 2 Tbls butter
• 1 Tbls white vinegar
• 1 Tbls water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Directions:

Heating It Up:

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees or set a toaster oven to toast.
- Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to a simmer. The water should not touch the bottom of the top pan. If you do not have a double boiler, just put a glass bowl on top of a sauce pan (again making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl.)
- Add three inches of water to a deep pan (I use my wok) and start bringing it to a simmer for the eggs.

Prep Work:

- Separate 4 eggs, reserving the yolks in a small bowl.
- Combine the lemon juice, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and water in another small bowl. Having these ingredients pre-combined will make it easier later.

- Melt 2 sticks of butter (1 cup) and have it ready to pour into the double boiler.
- Try not to think of the fat and calories that are going into this – instead focus on the creamy goodness you are going to be enjoying in a few short minutes…

Making the Hollandaise Sauce:

- Add the 4 egg yolks to the double boiler and whisk in the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, white ground pepper, and vinegar (already combined).
- Whisk in the melted butter 2-3 tablespoons at a time making sure the butter is fully incorporated into the egg mixture.
– Keep on whisking and you will notice the color changing, turning a lighter yellow.
- Once all the butter has been added and incorporated, whisk in the salt and then remove the sauce from the heat and cover it.

The sauce may appear thin but don’t worry – it will thicken while you prepare the other components.

Poaching the Eggs:

- Bring water to a simmer in a deep pan (I use my wok and it works great!) You will need a couple inches of water to poach the eggs in.
- Add 1 Tbls of vinegar to the water (this helps keep the eggs whites from getting too crazy).

Canadian Bacon and English Muffins:

Before poaching the eggs, place the English muffins and Canadian bacon on a baking sheet and into the preheated oven. If you are using a toaster oven, set it to toast or broil. The bacon warms up nicely and the english muffins will toast slightly. You don’t want your English muffins too crunchy – just slightly toasted.

Poaching Eggs:

- Drop the eggs into the water one at a time – slowly! Be gentle with the eggs and make sure the water doesn’t get up to a boil.
- Let the eggs cook for 3-4 minutes at a low simmer. The centers should still be soft.
- Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon letting all the water drip off.
- Place on a warm plate until ready to assemble.

Assembling the Eggs Benedict:

- Place two English Muffin halves on a plate.
- Add the canadian bacon.
- Top with poached egg.
- Finish this off by drizzling the Hollandiase Sauce over the top.
(I am totally getting hungry right now just typing this up!)
- You can add some fresh chives or paprika to the top for some color.
Serve this with some hashed browns and you’ve got a meal to remember.