Classic Eggs Benedict And Variations Recipes

Steps:

• For the hollandaise: Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.
• Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler), the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble.
• Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt.
• Cover top tightly with foil and place in a warm spot until ready to use. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.
• For the poached eggs: Fill a medium high-sided pot with 3 inches of water. Add vinegar, season with salt and bring to a simmer. (Look for just a few bubbles; it should never boil.) Gently crack an egg into a ramekin and then slowly slide it into the center of the pot, letting the water swirl around it and allowing the white to envelop the yolk. Repeat with 3 more eggs.
• Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 4 minutes. Once the eggs are perfectly poached, remove from the water using a slotted spoon and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and season the top with salt and pepper. Set eggs aside.
• For assembly: Preheat the broiler. Put the muffins in a single layer, cut-side up on a baking sheet, place under the broiler and broil until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes depending on how powerful your broiler is. Turn the muffins over, and broil for 1 minute longer.
• Turn the muffins back over so that the cut-side is facing up again. Remove and butter the top of each. Top each muffin with a slice of the bacon, return under the broiler and broil until the bacon is lightly golden brown and just warmed through, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how powerful the broiler is.
• Top each muffin half with an egg, pour about 1/4 cup of the sauce over each, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and pepper and garnish with chives and herbs.

Steps:

• Sear the Canadian bacon in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute per side.
• Split and toast the English muffin.
• Poach the eggs as directed on page 75.
• Arrange the muffin halves on a plate. Top each half with the bacon and then the poached eggs. Pour hollandaise sauce over the top and serve immediately.
• Trim and wash (several times) one bunch of spinach. Steam the spinach, squeeze it dry in a clean kitchen towel, and coarsely chop it with a sharp knife into 1/4-inch pieces. Before serving, sauté the spinach in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Add a little diced onion or garlic, if you like. Season the spinach with salt and pepper and substitute the spinach for the Canadian bacon.
• Substitute thin slices of smoked salmon for the Canadian bacon. Don't cook the smoked salmon as this will ruin its creamy texture and make it more like cooked salmon. For an additional variation, try Smoked Salmon Florentine by adding spinach (see above). The bright orange salmon is beautiful with the green spinach, the white egg, and the pale yellow hollandaise. Make sure the hollandaise isn't steaming hot when you pour it over the salmon or it will cook the salmon.
• Slice a firm green tomato into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Soak the slices for 5 minutes in buttermilk. Dredge the slices in yellow or white cornmeal seasoned with salt and pepper. To fry the tomatoes, put 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet and allow the oil to get good and hot (375°F), but not smoking. Fry the tomatoes on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove them from the pan and pat dry with paper towels. To place the poached eggs on the tomatoes, make an indentation in the tomatoes with a spoon for the eggs to sit in or they may roll off to the side.
• Similar variations are to substitute the fried green tomatoes for the Canadian bacon, to serve the fried green tomatoes in addition to the Canadian bacon, or to serve Fried Green Tomatoes Benedict with slab bacon.
• For a nice southern touch, substitute Bubby's Variation on Mr. Beard's Cream Biscuits (page 54), sliced in half, for the English muffins. Or, instead of hollandaise sauce, try Sausage Gravy (page 186).
• First make the Béarnaise Sauce (page 287). For the tenderloin, cut 1/2-inch-thick slices of raw beef tenderloin and season well with salt and pepper (we use very good sea salt, which makes all the difference). Heat a cast-iron skillet to smoking hot and add a very small amount of vegetable oil. Very quickly sear the tenderloin pieces, keeping them very rare. For medium rare, sear for 45 to 60 seconds on each side. Use the seared tenderloin in place of Canadian bacon and top with the béarnaise sauce.
• Substitute one-half fillet smoked trout, warmed for 1 minute in a toaster oven or broiler, for the Canadian bacon. Top with Béarnaise Sauce (page 287) instead of hollandaise.

Steps:

• Make the hollandaise sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until no longer foamy (but not browned), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the clear butter to a liquid measuring cup, leaving the milk solids on the bottom of the pan; discard the solids.
• Heat 1 inch of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not simmering. Combine the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a medium stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl on the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking constantly, until the egg mixture is pale yellow and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Check periodically to make sure the water isn't boiling or the egg yolks might overcook.
• Remove the bowl from the saucepan; slowly pour in the melted butter, a drop at a time at first, whisking constantly until thick. Whisk in the remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, the cayenne and ¼ teaspoon salt. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in some warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen. Return the bowl to the saucepan of water with the heat turned off to keep warm; whisk occasionally.
• Make the Eggs Benedict: Fill a large wide pot with 3 inches of water. Heat over medium-high heat until steaming with small bubbles; reduce the heat as needed to maintain a bare simmer. Stir in the vinegar. Crack 4 eggs into individual small bowls or ramekins. Carefully tip the eggs into the water, spacing them as far apart as possible. Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 3½ minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Gently blot the eggs dry and trim off any wispy pieces. Repeat with the remaining 4 eggs.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook until lightly browned and warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Meanwhile, toast the English muffins and spread with butter.
• Top each English muffin half with a slice of Canadian bacon and a poached egg. Thin the hollandaise sauce with more warm water, if necessary, and season with salt. Spoon over the poached eggs and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Steps:

• Make the hollandaise: Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat until it's foamy but not yet beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Place egg yolks and 2 teaspoons water in a blender. Start blending, and, working very slowly, add the hot, melted butter until it's all incorporated. (If it starts to get too thick to blend, add 1/2 teaspoon of water.) Add lemon juice and cayenne, though feel free to adjust the amounts to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the hollandaise to a small bowl, and place plastic wrap directly on the surface so it doesn't form a skin. Set aside. (It will keep at room temperature while you work.)
• Poach the eggs: Fill a medium pot with 3 inches of water. Add vinegar, season with salt and bring to a simmer. (Look for just a few bubbles; it should never boil.) Using the handle of a spoon or spatula, stir the water with a clockwise motion. Gently crack an egg into the center of the pot, letting the water swirl around it and allowing the white to envelop the yolk. Repeat with remaining eggs - you could probably do up to four at a time. Check the eggs after 4 minutes: Use a slotted spoon to lift an egg out of the water, and feel the white for firmness. If it's not quite done, slide it back in for another minute or so. Let cook until the whites are just set, but the yolks are still completely runny, 4 to 5 minutes. Once eggs are perfectly poached, remove from the water, and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Set eggs aside.
• Using a toaster, toaster oven or regular oven, toast the English muffins until crisp and golden brown. Don't be afraid to toast them thoroughly: They'll be covered in hollandaise and poached eggs, and will need to be sturdy.
• Cook Canadian bacon or ham (or bacon) in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and just crisp at the edges, about 6 minutes.
• Assemble the Benedict: Place eight halves of English muffin on a plate and butter them generously. Top each with a slice of Canadian bacon, ham or bacon, then a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce over and sprinkle with chives, dill, flaky sea salt and black pepper.

Steps:

• In 1-quart saucepan, vigorously stir egg yolks and lemon juice with wire whisk. Add 1/4 cup of the butter. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk, until butter is melted.
• Add remaining 1/4 cup butter. Continue stirring vigorously until butter is melted and sauce is thickened. (Be sure butter melts slowly so eggs have time to cook and thicken sauce without curdling.) If the sauce curdles (mixture begins to separate and melted butter starts to appear around the edge of the pan and on top of the sauce), add about 1 tablespoon boiling water and beat vigorously with wire whisk or egg beater until smooth. Keep warm.
• Split English muffins; toast. Spread each muffin half with some of the 3 tablespoons butter; keep warm.
• In 10-inch skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Cook bacon in butter until light brown on both sides; keep warm.
• Wipe out skillet to clean; fill with 2 to 3 inches water. Add vinegar to water. Heat to boiling; reduce to simmering. Break cold eggs, one at a time, into custard cup or saucer. Holding dish close to water's surface, carefully slip eggs into water. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until whites and yolks are firm, not runny (water should be gently simmering and not boiling). Remove with slotted spoon.
• Place 1 slice bacon on each muffin half. Top with egg. Spoon warm sauce over eggs. Sprinkle with paprika.