For one thing, the dish just sounds-- excuse me-- hoity-toity. I mean, "Hollandaise sauce, dahhling...." Gourmet to the extreme. And complicated. Well the latter is both true and false. Food experts claim that this, the diva of sauces, can be a bit, shall we say, temperamental. If handled haphazardly, the butter and egg yolk mixture has been known to curdle. But I can assure you that curdling is an easily-avoidable and effortlessly-correctable pitfall, one well worth overcoming.
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| Hollandaise-- the Diva of French Sauces (Photo by DJ Thorne) |
Still not convinced? Okay then. Think about this. What enlightened kitchen wizard doesn't need an arsenal of creamy sauces to combat the war cries certain to arise on leftover Wednesday? And besides, hollandaise is unbelievably versatile. Drizzle this thick, buttery wonder over eggs, toast, broccoli, asparagus, Brussle sprouts, pasta, fish, in casseroles..... Endless possibilities.
I swear, you can do it. And you will love it.
EGGS BENEDICT MY WAY
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| (Photo by DJ Thorne) |
For Eggs Benedict (4 servings) you will need:
- 4 eggs, poached (recipe follows)
- 2 English muffins, split and toasted
- 8 strips bacon, cooked
- Hollandaise Sauce (recipe follows)
Poached Eggs
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
Method 1 Directions
- Lightly grease 4 custard cups or heat-resistant ramekins and set the cups into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Fill with enough water to just cover the cups. Add vinegar and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Once water boils, lower heat until water remains at a steady simmer (little bubbles should barely break the surface of the water).
- Into a measuring cup, beak one egg and, holding the cup as close to the simmering water as possible, slide egg into the custard cup. Repeat with remaining eggs. Simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until whites are set and the yolks just begin to thicken. Remove cups and, with a spoon, carefully slide each egg onto a prepared muffin.
Poaching Eggs in Custard Cups
(photo by DJ Thorne)
Method 2 Directions
- Grease the bottom of a deep skillet, large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 3-inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat just enough to maintain a strong simmer (as directed above). One at a time, break egg into a measuring cup and gently slide into simmering water. Simmer about 5 minutes or until egg whites are set and yolk begins to congeal. Remove eggs with slotted spoon and place on top of muffin half.
Hold Cup Close to Water and Gently Slide Egg into Simmering Water
(photo by DJ Thorne)
Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
- 3 large egg yolks, well beaten
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (2 if you love lemon)
- 1 Tbsp water
- Salt & pepper, to taste
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| Vigorously Whisk Hollandaise and Add Butter Slowly to Prevent Curdling (photo by DJ Thorne) |
Directions
- In the bottom of a double boiler or medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Reduce heat enough to maintain a gentle boil.
- In heat-proof bowl or top of double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and water. Place the bowl or top boiler over the boiling water (do not allow water to touch the bowl).
- Add one pat of butter at a time into the egg mixture, whisking rapidly, until melted. Repeat until half of the butter has melted and is incorporated. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. At this point, sauce may appear to be curdling but will smooth out as remaining butter is incorporated. Continue whisking in butter one pat at a time, about every 30 seconds. If using, add remaining tablespoon of lemon juice. Whisking rapidly, cook an additional 2 minutes or until sauce emulsifies.
- Remove from heat. If sauce does curdle, fear not. In the double boiler over low heat, whisk in 1 or 2 tablespoons of hot water or 1 egg yolk and stir until smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or place in warmed thermos. To reheat, warm in microwave for approximately 20 seconds or over low heat for approximately 45 seconds.
To Assemble
Place two halved strips of bacon on top of each split English muffin. Top each with a poached egg. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of Hollandaise sauce over egg and serve immediately.
Enjoy.
Notes
- Vinegar helps to "seal" the eggs as they cook, preventing them from falling apart in the water.
- Please don't hurry when adding the butter. It's important to only add and melt one pat at a time. This helps
to prevent curdling.
- It is important to use fresh eggs when poaching, as the whites of older eggs tend to break apart in the water.
- Note, this is Eggs Benedict My Way. For authentic eggs Benedict, substitute 4 slices of Canadian bacon
for the bacon strips.
- Okay, if you're still not sure you want to attempt your own Hollandaise sauce, there is another option.
Knorr, for instance, makes a Hollandaise sauce mix. Look for it in the gravy mix aisle of your supermarket.
- Because Hollandaise sauce contains eggs, do not keep warm for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate and reheat
for later use to be safe.
- In this recipe you will end up with 3 eggs-worth of egg white. You can refrigerate these in an an airtight container for 7-10 days, or freeze for up to a month. Or, for a low(er)-cholesterol version of eggs Ben-
edict, separate egg yoks from whites, and poach the egg whites only.
- To test for freshness, place egg in a deep cup filled with water. If the egg sinks, it is fresh. Likewise, if
the egg floats, it is not fresh and should be discarded.
FYI LINKS
Poaching, Simmering, Boiling
What is the French Paradox?
Sauces in French Cuisine
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