Eggs Benedict is possibly my favorite breakfast dishes. It’s basically a poached egg and ham served on top of toasted piece of bread or English muffin, smothered in creamy Hollandaise sauce. (Drool)
I’ve always been intimidated to attempt it at home, because I had no idea how to poach and egg. After 4 complete failed eggs and 2 horribly disfigured yet edible eggs, I ended up with 2 beautiful poached eggs for my dish. In my book, that’s a great success!
The Basics
- Eggs – I’ve read it’s best to use eggs that are a few days old.
- Water
- Ice
- Vinegar – I used regular white vinegar.
- Toasted bread or English muffin
- Cooked slices of ham
- Hollandaise sauce
The Rundown
Add water and about 2 tbsp of vinegar in a sauce pan. Heat until boiling. Note: PLEASE make sure the water has reached a full boil. I lost a lot of eggs by being over zealous.
Meanwhile, crack open eggs and put them in individual small bowls. It makes it makes live easier – trust me. Also add water in a large bowl with ice. This will be used to cool the eggs when they are cooked.
When water is boiling, take a whisk and stir water vigorously to create a deep whirlpool.
Carefully drop the egg in the middle of the vortex and watch it cook. The white part of the egg should wrap around the yolk due to the swirling water.
You’ll know when the egg is finished when it floats to the top. It should take about 3-5 minutes. I also gently bounced the egg against the side of the pan, to see how much give it had. NOTE: Do not remove it too soon. Give the egg enough time so that the white part cooks completely.
Carefully remove egg from boiling water and place it in the ice water bath. Continue to cook more eggs in the same fashion.
Assemble dish by pieces of ham and a poached egg on top of a piece of toast. Then top with Hollandaise sauce. Enjoy!
Tags: breakfast, brunch, medium difficulty, recipe
