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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Eggs Benedict

Eggs Beneditct

Perfect for Easter Brunch — or Any Special Occasion

People love Eggs Benedict for brunch — especially at festive occasions.  And why not?  The dish offers a terrific combination of flavors and textures:  Toasted English muffin topped with sautéed Canadian bacon, which in turn is topped by poached egg.  All of which receives a glorious blanket of Hollandaise sauce. 

It’s a rich dish, so most us don’t eat it too often.  But it’s perfect for special days — like Easter.  Which, if you haven’t noticed, is on tap for this Sunday, March 31.  It would also be perfect for Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 12).  Or for any holiday, really.

It tends to be a “restaurant only” dish for many people.  I’ll bet the majority of us rarely (heck, never) make Eggs Benedict at home.  And that’s understandable — there are aspects to this recipe that give many cooks pause.  To begin with, it requires poaching eggs (which lots of people assume to be difficult).  And it requires Hollandaise sauce — something that even quite experienced cooks may find challenging. 

But if you break the dish down into segments, it’s not really that hard.  Glance at my recipes for Poached Eggs and Hollandaise Sauce, and you’ll see that both are quite doable. The biggest challenge with Eggs Benedict is juggling several different tasks at the same time. But I have a strategy for coping with that (it includes making the poached eggs ahead of time).

So for some special occasion soon, maybe you should step outside your comfort zone and tackle Eggs Benedict. People will start applauding when they hear you’re even considering it. And when you actually serve your Eggs Benny? Expect overwhelming adulation — with a side of adoration.


Eggs Beneditct

Recipe:  Eggs Benedict

The standard recipe for Eggs Benedict these days specifies the use of Canadian bacon (the eye of the pork loin that’s cured like bacon).  But you see many recipes that opt for ham instead, and some people prefer to use “regular” bacon.  There are many more variations, including some vegetarian ones, as discussed below.  For today’s post, though, we’ll do the standard version.

The most difficult thing about making Eggs Benedict is timing several different tasks:  toasting and buttering English muffins; sautéing Canadian bacon (or ham or bacon, if you prefer); poaching eggs; and preparing Hollandaise sauce.  They all need to finish at more or less the same time — that is, when you’re ready to assemble the final dish. 

To avoid this juggling act, I suggest that you prepare things ahead of time as much as possible.  For example, it’s pretty easy to toast the muffins and sauté the Canadian bacon 10 or so minutes before they’re needed, and then keep them warm in the oven. Also, as discussed in our previous post, you can prepare Poached Eggs ahead of time (even a day or two ahead), chill them, and then reheat in warm water for a minute just before serving. That leaves only the Hollandaise sauce to be made from scratch at the last minute — and if you use the blender method discussed in our Hollandaise Sauce post, this process should be quick and fairly simple.

This recipe is intended to serve two people. Each serving of Eggs Benedict requires the following: one English muffin split into 2 halves and buttered; 2 slices of Canadian bacon; 2 poached eggs; and a nice dollop of Hollandaise sauce. My recipe for blender Hollandaise sauce, which makes about ¾ cup, will be way more than enough for two people. But that’s OK — just serve your Eggs Benedict with some nice Roast Asparagus, which will happily accommodate all the extra sauce.

If you’re serving more than two people, just increase portions accordingly. My blender Hollandaise recipe makes enough to amply cover three servings of Eggs Benedict (i.e., 6 eggs) and will stretch to cover four servings (8 eggs) — although some might find the amount of sauce a bit skimpy.

Assuming you poach the eggs ahead of time, you can complete this recipe in 20 minutes or less.

Ingredients
  • 4 Poached Eggs, prepared ahead of time and chilled in cold water (following the procedure in the recipe) 
  • 2 English muffins, split into two halves
  • ~1 tablespoon butter (for buttering English muffins; you’ll be using more butter throughout the recipe)
  • 4 slices Canadian bacon
  • ~1 tablespoon additional butter (for sautéing the bacon)
  • 3 egg yolks (for the Hollandaise Sauce; see Notes for why you might want to use pasteurized eggs)
  • 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice (for the Hollandaise Sauce)
  • ½ tablespoon water (for the Hollandaise Sauce)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (for the Hollandaise Sauce)
  • a dash or two of cayenne pepper, to taste (optional; for the Hollandaise Sauce)
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces; for the Hollandaise Sauce)
  • chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Procedure
  1. Poach the eggs ahead of time using my recipe for Poached Eggs. You can even poach them a day or two ahead — just store them in cold water in the refrigerator, as directed in the recipe. If you want to poach them at the same time you’re preparing the rest of the Eggs Benedict recipe, see Notes below for how to time them. 
  2. Fill a large skillet or shallow pan with about 2 inches of water. (You’ll be using this water to rewarm the poached eggs.) Place on stove and turn heat to high. Once the water begins to just simmer, turn the heat down to keep the water at the barest simmer. Because it takes a while for the water to come to a simmer, this is the first thing you want to do when you prepare Eggs Benedict, although you won’t actually warm the eggs until you’re ready to serve. 
  3. Split the English muffins in two. It’s easiest if you use two forks — if you use a knife, the texture won’t be as rough, and the rougher the texture, the more butter the muffin absorbs — and toast the halves. Because you need to toast only the split side, it makes sense to toast the muffins in the broiler: Just turn on the oven broiler, place the muffins on a baking tray, and slide under the broiler. The amount of time it takes to toast depends on your broiler, but keep an eye on the muffins — once they start browning, they toast in a hurry. If you prefer, you can toast them in the toaster. When the muffins are done, turn the oven to 200 degrees F (just hot enough to keep the muffins warm), and butter the muffin halves. Return the muffins to the baking pan and slide the pan into the oven to keep warm. 
  4. While the muffins are toasting, get started on the Canadian bacon. Place a skillet on medium heat, melt a tablespoon or so of butter, and sauté the Canadian bacon on both sides. This is sold already cooked, but you want to both warm it and put a nice little sear on it. Once cooked, place the Canadian bacon in the 200-degree oven with the muffins to stay warm (you can either put the whole skillet in the oven, or remove the slices of Canadian bacon and place them on the baking sheet with the muffins). 
  5. OK, at this point you have your muffins and Canadian bacon done, and your skillet of water should be at a simmer (or soon will be). Time to prepare the Hollandaise Sauce! I’ll repeat the steps from my Blender Hollandaise Sauce post so you don’t have to flip back to that as you’re making your Eggs Benny. 
  6. Separate the eggs, reserving the whites for another purpose (see Notes for the easiest way to separate eggs). 
  7. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, water, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne pepper in blender jar. 
  8. Cut butter into about 8 pieces (to promote quicker melting) and place in a small sauce pan. Heat until hot and foaming, but not brown (you can also do this in the microwave). Allow to cool slightly (if the butter is too warm you can have problems with the sauce’s emulsion). 
  9. While the butter cools somewhat (it requires only a minute or two), remove the English muffins and Canadian bacon from oven. Place muffin halves on plates (2 halves per plate) and top each one with Canadian bacon. 
  10. Your water should now be at a simmer, or just below (as long as it’s quite warm, it’s fine). Gently drop the 4 poached eggs into the water to warm, and set a timer for 1 minute. 
  11. Now mix the Hollandaise sauce: Cover the blender jar, and process the egg yolks, liquid, and seasonings at high speed for 2 seconds to whip the egg yolk mixture. 
  12. With the blender still running, remove top of blender (many have a small cap that allows you to pour liquid in without removing the whole top; remove cap if your blender has that feature), and slowly pour in the hot butter. You want a very slow, thin stream of butter — droplets, really. Pour in all butter except the milky residue that may be at the bottom of the container. This will take under a minute. 
  13. Your timer is probably going off. Turn your attention away from the Hollandaise (don’t worry, it’ll be fine) and with a slotted spoon, remove the poached eggs from their water bath. I usually blot them briefly on a towel, then transfer them to the waiting English muffins, placing each poached egg on a round of Canadian bacon. 
  14. Back to the Hollandaise: Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (just give the Hollandaise a brief whirl in the blender to incorporate any additional seasoning). Then top each poached egg with a dollop of Hollandaise. Use at least a tablespoon of sauce for each egg, or more if you like (I’m in the “more” camp).
  15. Garnish with parsley if you like, and serve.
Eggs Beneditct

Notes

  • If you don’t want to poach the eggs ahead of time, it’s easy enough to fit them into the sequence of events that I’ve listed above.  I would start at the Step 5 stage (delay making the Hollandaise sauce): Crack the eggs open and place each in a small ramekin or bowl (as directed in the post on making Poached Eggs. Add the eggs to the simmering water, and set the timer for 4 minutes (the amount of time it takes to poach the eggs). Then proceed with Step 5, making the Hollandaise. If you time things right, the poached eggs will be ready to come out of the water right at Step 13. If the egg timer goes off before you actually make the Hollandaise, no worries: Just let the eggs sit on a kitchen towel to drain — they’ll remain fairly warm. If the Hollandaise is ready a minute or two before the eggs are, again no worries: Just let it sit in the blender jar for a minute or two. It’ll be fine. 
  • Eggs carry a slight (but real) risk of salmonella. So I suggest using pasteurized eggs. Although it’s unlikely that the eggs you buy will be infected, why take the risk? And although you’ll be cooking the egg yolks, it’s possible you won’t heat them sufficiently to eliminate all salmonella. 
  • Here’s the easiest and fastest way to separate eggs: First wash your hands thoroughly. Then crack an egg, open the shell into the palm of your hand, and let the egg white run through your slightly open fingers. I find that it’s fastest if I transfer the egg from one hand to the other once or twice during this process. When all the white has left your hand, put the egg yolk in a separate bowl. If you have plans for the egg whites, I always put them in a separate bowl, too — that way, if the yolk breaks on the next egg I’m separating, it won’t get into the whites. 
  • What to do with the egg whites? Make dessert! A perfect dessert for Easter — or any special occasion — is Homemade Meringues
  • If your Hollandaise sauce is too thick, add a bit of hot water and whirl in the blender to mix.
  • If your sauce doesn’t have enough acid flavor, add a bit more lemon juice.
  • You can substitute vinegar for the lemon juice in Hollandaise if you wish, but in my opinion the flavor isn’t as good.
  • The most common mistake people make with Hollandaise sauce is adding melted butter that is too hot, or adding too much too soon.  When this happens, the emulsion breaks — so the sauce becomes thin and grainy.
  • If your butter is too hot, just stop making the Hollandaise for a minute or two to allow the butter to cool. More tips about what to do if you have problems with Hollandaise (i.e., if it breaks or doesn’t thicken) can be found in my post on making Hollandaise Sauce.
  • BTW, you can keep leftover Hollandaise sauce for a day or two. You can even freeze it. However, in my opinion, the pizzazz just won’t be there when you reuse it. Better to make a fresh batch. 
  • Some fancy schmancy restaurants top their Eggs Benedict with truffle slices. If you have these on hand (who does?), they would be a nice touch. For a simpler (and much less expensive) variation, use slices of black olives instead. 
  • You can replace the parsley with another fresh green herb — tarragon is particularly nice in this dish. 
  • I always serve Eggs Benedict with Tabasco or Sriracha sauce on the side; a bit of heat adds nice zip to this dish.
Eggs Beneditct


Eggs Benedict:  Origins and Popular Variations

So where did the recipe for Eggs Benedict come from?  Well, there’s a French dish called Œufs à la bénédictine (or more usually, œufs bénédictine) that uses some of the same ingredients — but it’s really based on a different concept.  The French dish features a tart filled with a brandade (a garlicky puree of refreshed salt cod mixed with potatoes; some versions specify that the brandade should be spread on triangles of fried bread); it’s all topped with poached eggs enveloped by a creamy sauce — usually Hollandaise, but sometimes a cheese (Mornay) sauce.  It doesn’t sound bad, but it’s not Eggs Benedict.

The dish we know as Eggs Benedict seems to have originated in the United States.  Most stories say it was created in New York City.  The best history of this dish I’ve found is an April 8, 2007 article by Gregory Beyer in the New York Times. He notes that the dish reportedly originated in 1894, inspired by a stockbroker and society type named Lemuel Benedict. It seems that, after a night of heavy drinking, Benedict decided to refuel with breakfast at the original Waldorf Hotel at Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street (the current hotel, called the Waldorf-Astoria, is on Park Avenue in midtown). He ordered two poached eggs, bacon, buttered toast, and a small pitcher of Hollandaise sauce. Benedict’s breakfast interested the maître d’hôtel (known as Oscar of the Waldorf). After sampling an order for himself, he put it on the menu, substituting ham for the bacon and English muffins for the toast.

There’s another story that credits a Mr. and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict with inspiring the dish — supposedly sometime in the 1890s at Delmonico’s Restaurant in lower Manhattan. According to this story, the couple couldn’t find anything they liked on the restaurant’s menu, so they discussed some options with the chef, Charles Ranofer. He came up with a dish he called Eggs Benedict, and included a recipe for it in his cookbook, The Epicurean, which was published in 1894.

There are now many variations on the dish, and you can find an extensive list in the Wikipedia entry on Eggs Benedict. These variations include:
  • Eggs Blackstone, which substitutes streaky bacon for the ham and adds a tomato slice.
  • Eggs Floreintine, which substitutes spinach for the ham (makes a nice vegetarian version).
  • Eggs Mornay, which substitutes a cheese (Mornay) sauce for the Hollandaise.
  • Eggs Atlantic, which substitutes salmon or smoked salmon for the ham.  (Sometimes this dish is called Eggs Hemingway, Eggs Royale, or Eggs Montreal.)
  • Huevos Benedictos, which substitutes sliced avocado or Mexican chorizo for the ham, and adds salsa to the Hollandaise topping.
  • Artichoke Benedict, which replaces the English muffin with a hollowed artichoke.
  • Country Benedict, which replaces the English muffin, ham, and Hollandaise sauce with a baking powder or buttermilk biscuit, sausage patties, and country gravy (a cream gravy).  This dish is also sometimes called Eggs Beauregard.
  • Portobello Benedict, which replaces the ham with Portobello mushrooms (another good vegetarian version).
There are many more, but you get the idea.  Some of the variations sound quite appetizing — I particularly like the idea of adding salmon. 

But I’m most partial to the Eggs Benedict recipe we feature here.  So that’s what we’ll be serving chez Kitchen Riffs on Easter morning.  Or anytime we want a special brunch, really.  But unlike Lemuel Benedict, we won’t be consuming it as a hangover cure.

You may also enjoy reading about:
Poached Eggs
Hollandaise Sauce
Fried Eggs
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Baking Powder Biscuits
Easy Homemade Butter
Pancakes
French Toast
No Knead Bread
Homemade Meringues
Roast Asparagus

72 comments:

  1. I always think of this dish as a "restaurant brunch" dish but it's really not that hard to make at home. Thanks!

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    1. Hi Alyssa, this really isn't that hard of a dish, although you certainly have to think about the timing of various things. Thanks for the comment.

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  2. Eggs in any forms are welcomed by my family. Thanks for breaking down the steps for making the dish easier.

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    1. Hi Shibi, once you devise a strategy for making the various components and assembling this dish, it's pretty doable. Thanks for the comment.

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  3. My husband LOVES eggs benedict, but I fid myself sweating after I make it, since it's such a balancing act. The work is so worth it as we adore the hollandaise sauce! I might have to try it in an artichoke, too!

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    1. Hi Laura, it really is a balancing act, but not all tha bad once you break things down. Blender Hollandaise is practically foolproof, so making it that way takes away one of the biggest worries about making and assembling this dish. Thanks for the comment.

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  4. My son made this for mother's day when he was only 16. He subbed lox for the bacon. Quite clever he is and quite daring as he had never attempted either the hollandaise or a poached egg before. Definitely a memorable dish! And yours is gorgeous!

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    1. Hi Abbe, that's pretty good for 16! Although guys at that age tend to be fearless. ;-) Really nice of him. Thanks for the kind words, and comment.

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  5. Oh yes! This is perfect for Easter Sunday Brunch, John! I love the creamy-looking texture of the Hollandaise sauce. That is just one gorgeous Eggs Benedict. Happy Easter to you and your family, John!

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    1. Hi Ray, this is such a good dish, isn't it? Happy Easter to you! And thanks for the kind words, and comment.

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  6. I used to work at a small Mom & Mom restaurant. We usually made hollandaise as in your recipe, but if we got slammed on busy weekends we would whip up a batch of cheaters hollandaise. Unsalted butter,egg yolks,lemon juice and zest, (in a double boiler) and a couple dollops of Hellman's, to hold the emulsification together.

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    1. Hi Pete, sometimes you have to do what works! Add a bit of cream can help with the emulsion too, I believe. Good story, and thanks for commenting.

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  7. I've never made eggs benedict at home, but I usually don't order it at restaurants either. I'm more of a pancake/French toast lover. But your recipe sounds so good I may give it a try!

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    1. Hi Jeanne, pancakes and French toast are good too! And baker that you are, maybe more appropriate. ;-) Thanks for the comment.

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  8. I love eggs benedict and if I ever go out for brunch, that's what I order. My son took me out for my birthday and I found eggs benedict on a hash brown, which was perfect for my current wheat-free status.

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    1. Hi Suzanne, isn't this a good dish? I like the idea of serving them on hash browns. To be honest, the English muffin part of the dish always seems a bit weak to me. Thanks for the comment.

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  9. What a nice historical background for this delicious meal!
    Yes, the French concept of Eggs benedict is indeed very different. Both concepts co-exist in Quebec (French Canada):-) and I enjoy this mean when I happen to be in Montreal.

    I wish you a great Easter time and enjoy your festive menu!
    All the best!

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    1. Hi La Torontoise, the French version of Eggs Benedict actually sounds pretty interesting! Happy Easter, and thanks for commenting.

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  10. Your eggs benedict looks great! Whether special occasions or not, I love to be served with these exquisite and delicious breakfast... eating these, I will definitely feel special. Gotta ask my husband to read this comment *wink*

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    1. Hi Zoe, you definitely need to get your husband to read your comment! Thanks for your comment.

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  11. I have worked many breakfast shifts in my life and Eggs Benedict is always one of the most popular breafasts. I also worked with many chefs who get nervous about poaching eggs. There is an art to it, once you find your groove it is easy. I like to add a teaspoon of dijion mustard into my hollandaise too. Yum. I really need to make this again one day, its been a long time.

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    1. Hi Lizzie, I think getting stressed about poaching eggs is a bit normal if you never do it. But for a chef? I'm surprised, though I believe it. I guess it's all in finding your groove, as you say. I've added dijon mustard to my Hollandaise before - it's a gret addition. Thanks for the comment.

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  12. John - this eggs benedict recipe looks amazing! I have never poached an egg before, but not I will need to learn :)

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    1. Hi Kristi, you definitely need to try your hand at poaching eggs. After you get over your apprehension, you'll find it's not hard. The biggest problem is the whites can looked ragged, and when you're hiding them under Hollandaise sauce, no one will see them! So Eggs Benedict, despite requiring some attention to timing, is actually a pretty good recipe for a beginning egg poacher (particularly since you can poach the eggs ahead of time). Thanks for the comment.

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  13. John, it's perfect for any meal: breakfast, lunch or dinner! Love eggs benedict. :)

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    1. Hi Marina, isn't this a great dish? Brunch is the earliest I'll eat this because it's so much food (and it has to be a a late brunch), but this makes a swell dinner too. Thanks for the comment.

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  14. That looks even better than at a restaurant. Plus, you can enjoy it in the comfort of your pjs. ;)

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    1. Hi Carolyn, enjoying these in one's pjs definitely is a good thing! Thanks for the comment.

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  15. Great brunch recipe! I should make this for my mom and dad on Easter morning, they would love it.

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    1. Hi Natalie, your mom and dad would love it! And you would too. ;-) Thanks for the comment.

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  16. Hello John, I am licking my chops as I read your post and look at those photos of the beautiful eggs benedict. I have not made this dish or eaten it out in a very long time. Love, love, love that sauce. Have a super Easter weekend. BAM

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    1. Hi Bam, you probably owe it to yourself to make this dish again! I hope you have a Happy Easter, too, and thanks for commenting.

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  17. I eat eggs Benedict quite often :) I love them. I've never used Canadian bacon with it, always ham. But I don't even know where to get it in Europe. I enjoyed reading all the notes.

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    1. Hi Marta, no need for Canadian bacon, ham is great in Eggs Benedict! Thanks for the comment.

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  18. I just discovered your blog and I signed up immediately. I would pretty much eat an old sneaker if it had hollandaise sauce on top. I've always made it the traditional way, but I'm so going to try your blender version this weekend. It looks so much easier. And OMG, I can't believe you made homemade Cadberry eggs!

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    1. Hi Jeri, not exactly a Cadbury egg (no yellow yolk), more like the generic cream-filled Easter eggs. Though a Cadbury egg probably wouldn't be that hard to do - good idea! I actually usually make Hollandaise by hand, too, but it's faster by blender, and harder to mess up. There's so much going on in this recipe, I figured taking a short cut with the Hollandaise would make it easier for a lot of people. Welcome, and thanks for the comment.

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  19. I'm with most, John. Eggs Benedict is my Sunday brunch entrée of choice at a restaurant. It's been ages since I made it for myself -- or for others, for that matter. Your post certainly does cover all of the bases, though, and would be a big help for any cook planning on serving the dish, myself included. Thanks, John, for sharing your expertise with us.

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    1. Hi John, it's a great dish, isn't it? You need no help with this dish, I'm sure! Thanks for the comment.

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  20. I love how detailed your posts are John. I always learn so much when I come her. Thank you so much for the effort you put into every post

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    1. Hi Sawsan, glad you enjoy the posts! Thanks for your kind words, and comment.

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  21. That photo with the little bubbles in the sauce makes my head spin with eggs benedict joy. They are perfect!

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    1. Hi Maureen, yup, the Hollandaise was quite fresh in that photo! All of them, really - I really had to photograph fast so I could eat! Thanks for the comment.

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  22. Hollandaise Sauce can also be made the day before.

    Make it on the thin side, because it will thicken a little when you reheat it.

    If it thickens to much just add a bit of liquid at a time, whisk and repeat until desired thickness.

    The peameal bacon is cooked in just a couple of minutes.

    Marta: Peameal bacon is unique to Canada.
    It is only in the last maybe 10 years that it has been available to the States.
    As for what Americans call Canadian bacon, we call it ham, but it isn't cut from the shoulder.
    Hope that makes sense.

    Charlie

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    1. Hi Charles, Hollandaise sauce can indeed be made the day ahead; or two days, or frozen, as I mentioned in the Notes. But it takes just minutes to prepare in the blender and tastes so much better, I thinks it's better freshly made. Besides, you have to reheat Holladaise that's been made ahead, and if you're not careful it can break.

      I removed your other comment because it contained a link to a commercial site, and this blog is noncommercial (I occasionally do provide links to products etc. that I know, used, and personally recommend; but I don't know the product you recommend. Anyway, the gist of what you said in your other comment was that what Americans call Canadian bacon isn't, and that if there was any bacon that could be called "Canadian" would be "peameal" bacon, so called because it is rolled in cornmeal.

      Thanks for the info! I'll have to check it out. And thanks for the comments.

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  23. For me, Eggs Benedict is breakfast perfection. I often add sliced tomato or spinach under the egg, or switch our the ham with bacon ... no matter how it's assembled, it is DELISH! Excellent eggs there on top, it looks like one gentle pierce and lovely yolk will cascade over everything. :)

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    1. Hi Judy, Eggs Benny are wonderful, aren't they? Only an occasional indulgence for us, but we savor every minute we're eating them! Thanks for the comment.

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  24. Your eggs benedict look perfect, John! They would be great for Easter brunch or Mother's Day. Hope you have a lovely Easter weekend :)

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    1. Hi Ali, it's such a pleasant dish, isn't it? For some reason we always wait for a special occasion to indulge - we should eat it more often! I have you have a nice Easter, too, and thanks for the comment.

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  25. Wonderful! That is something I have never eaten... A fabulous breakfast dish.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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    1. Hi Rosa, this is definitely worth trying sometime. Loads of flavor. Thanks for the comment.

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  26. I could see myself eating this for brunch. This looks really wonderful and I am sure my family would love it. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Hi Dawn, your family will stand up and cheer if you serve this! I'll bet they would indeed love it. Thanks for the comment.

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  27. Believe it or not I've never had eggs benedict before. Time to change that because this looks delicious! Love your page, by the way.

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    1. Hi Ashley, you really should give this dish a try - it has tons of flavor. Thanks for the comment.

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  28. I love Eggs Benedict and these look perfect, for Easter, or any day. :)

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    1. Hi Amy, isn't this a great dish! I love eating - and making! - them. ;-) Thanks for the comment

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  29. I'm definitely one of those that leaves this dish for the restaurants. Unfortunately, the restaurant that served the best ones in town, took them off its menu. Go figure! Yours definitely look restaurant quality and I'd eat them in a second. I have a source for some of the best freshly made English muffins one could want and I've always wanted to use them for this dish. I guess it's time. Thanks for the recipes and the inspiration. This would be my first Hollandaise sauce as well. Have a great weekend!

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    1. Hi MJ, making Hollandaise isn't that hard - the blender method is practically foolproof. And how great to have a source for freshly made English muffins! Actually Mrs K R is fooling around with making them. ;-) You have a great weekend, too, and thanks for the comment.

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  30. Beautiful, John! I appreciate all you shared on the history of eggs Benedict, too. Happy Easter to you and your family!

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    1. Hi Hannah, I love food history! Always so much to learn. Happy Easter to you and yours, and thanks for commenting.

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  31. I've bookmarked this, and will be dropping broad hints around Mother's Day. What an amazing dish!

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    1. Hi Beth, I hope your broad hints work! You deserve this on Mother's Day. ;-) Thanks for the comment.

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    2. Hi John, wow.... perfect and mouthwatering eggs benedict. What a scrumptious breakfast and follow by a cup of coffee, it sure taste heavenly. I imaging myself eating this now in your comfort home. LOL

      Thanks for sharing this excellent posting. Best regards.

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    3. Hi Ameila, isn't this a great dish? And a long, leisurely cup of coffee after eating this is heaven. ;-) Thanks for the comment.

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  32. Thanks for the great breakdown! That's definitely why I don't make it at home - it can be overwhelming trying to make the sauce, poach eggs, etc. and isn't always something I want to do after waking up bleary eyed (not a morning person). Your post is a great way of making it manageable.

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    1. Hi Food Jaunts, you really do need to have a pretty good idea of how to time things when you make this. And I think the way I describe it should work for most people. I'm with you on not wanting to do this early in the morning - I'm not really a morning person either. Thanks for the comment.

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  33. Thanks for this awesome recipe, Spring always has me craving eggs benedict! I shared this recipe in my most recent weekly meal plan on my blog, rainbowdelicious.com. Thanks!

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    1. Hi Emily, always happy to oblige! Thanks for sharing (and linking) to my recipe! And thanks for your comment.

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  34. Oh man, now I want eggs benedict!!! This is one of my all time favorite breakfast entrees!!! The flavors are so perfect together:-) What a delicious post! Take care, Terra

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    1. Hi Terra, sorry to induce that craving! ;-) I love these for any time of the day! Thanks for the comment.

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  35. Haven't had a real good appetite for a while but now looking at your perfectly cooked eggs benedict, I want this for tomorrow breakfast! I loved and enjoyed seeing your egg theme this past week. I can always eat eggs at any time of the day. :)

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    1. Hi Nami, aren't eggs so good? I love this dish, and always wonder why we don't have it more often. Although it is awfully rich! Thanks for the comment.

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