Skip to main content

Eggs Benedict



Eggs Benedict is the perfect weekend breakfast. Homemade hollandaise sauce is much easier to prepare than you may think and beats any kind of shop-bought variety.

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 6 English muffins, halved
  • butter, for spreading
  • 6 slices ham or smoked salmon
  • 1–2 tbsp finely snipped fresh chives

For the hollandaise sauce

  • 225g/8oz butter, cubed
  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 small shallot or ½ banana shallot, very finely chopped
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 fegg yolks
  • pinch sea salt
  • pinch caster sugar

Method

  1. Fill a small pan just over one third full with cold water and bring it to the boil. Add the vinegar and reduce to a simmer. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and gently tip into the simmering water. Poach for 2–3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into iced water, then remove the eggs and place them on a kitchen towel.
  2. For the hollandaise sauce, melt the butter slowly in a medium pan over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and pour the butter into a jug.
  3. Put the vinegar, shallot, peppercorns and bay leaf in a small saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or until reduced to 2 tablespoons of liquid. Remove from the heat.
  4. Put the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Whisk the egg yolks with the salt and sugar until pale. Pour the vinegar mixture through a fine sieve onto the yolks and continue whisking until well combined. Slowly add the butter in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth, thick and shiny.
  5. Toast the muffin halves and bring the pan of water back to a simmer, ready to reheat the eggs.
  6. Spread the muffins with butter. Put a muffin half on each plate and top with ham or salmon. Using a slotted spoon, drop the cooked eggs into the simmering water and reheat for 1 minute. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
  7. Place an egg on each muffin and spoon over some hollandaise. Sprinkle with chives and serve with the other muffin halves on the side.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Turkish flatbread with minced beef, herbs and spices

  Turkish flatbread with minced beef, herbs and spices This quick and easy Turkish flatbread has a spiced minced beef topping. It's a brilliant way to use beef mince, and tastes great with a drizzle of minted yoghurt. Ingredients For the topping 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 250g/9oz minced beef or lamb 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp hot smoked paprika 2–3 tsp tomato purée ½ tsp fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper fresh mint and coriander leaves, to serve For the dough 200g/7oz Greek-style yoghurt 200g/7oz self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp cumin seeds For the minted yoghurt 4 tbsp Greek-style yoghurt 1 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves Method Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Lightly oil a large baking tray and place in the oven to heat. To make the dough, put all the ingredients in a large bow...

Lighter creamy mushrooms on toast

  Lighter creamy mushrooms on toast So creamy and luxurious you'll never realise this breakfast is only 200 kcal and counts as one of your five-a-day. Each serving provides 200 kcal, 17g protein, 14g carbohydrate (of which 3g sugars), 8g fat (of which 3g saturates), 3g fibre and 1.4g salt. Ingredients 1 tsp rapeseed oil 80g/3oz button mushrooms, roughly chopped 32g/1oz reduced-fat smoked baco n  medallion, roughly chopped, 2 spring onions, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, finely chopped ½ small lemon, juice only 1 level tbsp half-fat crème fraîche 30g/1oz slice wholemeal or granary bread salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives (optional) Method Heat the oil in small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms, bacon, spring onions and garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, then cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked...

Vegetarian lentil cottage pie

Vegetarian lentil cottage pie   This is a rich and satisfying vegetarian version of the classic cottage pie. Lentils make a great substitute for mince and are packed with protein, and carrots make the mash topping extra sweet. Ingredients For the cauliflower 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets 240g/9oz green beans, halved 1 tbsp vegetable oil salt and freshly ground black pepper For the cottage pie 1 tbsp vegetable oil 4 celery sticks, finely chopped 250g/9oz swede, peeled and grated 8 carrots, peeled and grated 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs 3 tbsp tomato purée 3 x 400g tins green lentils, drained and rinsed 1 reduced salt vegetable stock cube 500ml/18fl oz boiling water pinches freshly grated nutmeg 600g/1lb 5oz white potatoes, scrubbed and roughly chopped 30g/1oz butter salt and freshly ground black pepper Recipe tips Method Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. To make the cauliflower, place...