Emily Chan
Eggs Benedict is a classic brunch dish that traditionally consists of toasted English muffins topped with crispy Canadian bacon, perfectly poached eggs, and, of course, the key ingredient that ties everything together—rich, creamy, decadent Hollandaise sauce.
The two most challenging components to eggs Benedict are poaching the eggs and making the Hollandaise sauce. The process seems daunting, but it’s really no more complicated than any other breakfast dish.
Once you’ve mastered those steps, all that’s left to do is stack your ingredients together and add the finishing touches. Then, you can explore the many ways you can play with the dish. There are countless variations you can try! But for now, let’s focus on the basics, following a recipe from NYT Cooking.
You’ll tackle the trickiest part first by making the hollandaise sauce right from the get-go. Melt one and a half sticks of butter in a small pot over medium heat until it looks bubbly. It should take about three to four minutes.
Next, separate three large eggs and place the yolks into a blender, along with two teaspoons of water.
Turn the blender on and slowly begin pouring the hot butter into the blender until it’s all gone. Squeeze fresh lemon juice in immediately afterward.
You can also add cayenne pepper if desired. Don’t forget to use salt and pepper. And that’s how you make hollandaise sauce!
Then, move the sauce over to a small bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Set the bowl aside while you work on the rest of the dish. To poach the eggs, fill a medium-sized pot with three inches of water.
Add a tablespoon of vinegar and season with salt. Once the pot starts to simmer, stir the water with the handle of a spoon in a circular motion. Crack in an egg, letting the water swirl so the egg can wrap around itself while it cooks.
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