The Irreverent Gourmet: Eggs Benedict

Otherwise known as the greatest breakfast out there. And possibly the worst for you. But really, who cares about that?

I have to admit, I did not get on the ‘bene’ bandwagon until I moved to Portland and now I order it 9 out of 10 times I go out to brunch. SO GOOD. Clearly there comes a point when you need to learn how to make it yourself, not that my waistband particularly needs it, but my wallet does.

So here we are. Let the artery clogging ensue…

Hollandaise Sauce:

3 egg yolks

1 ½ sticks butter, melted

1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice

~1 tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne (optional)

You can choose to do this in a blender, I did it by hand as it is a little easier to control and keep track of the consistency. First, lightly beat the egg yolks before adding any of the butter. When you do start adding the butter, do so VERY SLOWLY, a couple drips at a time and whisk vigorously. Doing by hand will also ensure that you burn a few of the calories you are about to consume. Once the butter has been well incorporated, add a couple more drops, etc. After a couple minutes, you can start adding the butter a little more at a time (slow but steady stream). Once you have added about ¾ of the butter, you can start taste testing and decide whether you want to add it all or not. Add the lemon juice, salt and spices at the end. If you are not using immediately, it will set up a little upon standing. If you want it a little more runny, you can whisk in a little warm water. You should use hollandaise within a couple hours of making it.

Eggs Benedict:

The beauty of eggs bene is that you can add whatever you want to them in terms of meats, veggies, cheeses, bread, whatever your heart desires. For this one, I did bacon and spinach on an English muffin.

Fry up your bacon! I hope you all know how this is done. Bacon + pan + heat.

Same with the spinach. Only note here in case you haven’t cooked spinach before, it shrinks A LOT, so throw a solid amount into the pan.

Now to poach eggs, which is now my favorite way to take my eggs. Yes, because of eggs benedict (I may be slightly obsessed). Fill a pan with an inch or so of water and heat until it is lightly boiling. You do not want it at a heavy boil. Before it starts to boil, add 1-2 tsp of vinegar (I usually use rice vinegar) or you can use lemon juice. The acidity will help keep the egg whites from spreading out. Now to add the eggs – it helps if you put the eggs in a small bowl or dish (one at a time) and gently dip them into the water slowly. They will not take long to cook (matter of minutes). You can use a spoon to spoon hot water over the yolks if it looks like the tops are peeking out of the water. Once they look done (whites cooked, yolks still smooshy), take them out of the water using a strainer spoon.