Eggs Benedict With Homemade Hollandaise Recipes

EGGS BENEDICT WITH HOLLANDAISE SAUCE (THREE WAYS)

Steps:

• Fill a medium to large pot with 4 inches of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cover the pot.
• To make the hollandaise sauce: In a blender, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, cayenne, and salt and blend it briefly to combine.
• In a small skillet or pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it's almost fully melted and starting to bubble but there are still a few pieces of solid butter remaining, remove it from the heat. (Please note: Do not melt the butter in the microwave, as you don't have control over the temperature and the temperature is key for making this blender hollandaise sauce.)
• With the lid on the blender, turn it on low to medium speed, then slowly and carefully remove the cap in the lid (keeping the lid on) and pour in a little butter. Blend until the butter is incorporated, then with the blender running, carefully pour in the rest of the butter, little by little.
• Be careful, because this can splatter and make a very big mess! The mixture should instantly thicken up and create a delicious smooth hollandaise sauce. If it fails to thicken up right away, blend it on really high speed for a minute.
• Keep the hollandaise sauce in the blender jar and give it a quick blend every minute or so or place the blender jar in a large bowl of warm water to keep the sauce warm so a film doesn't form on the top.
• To make the eggs Benedict: Take the lid off the pot of water and add the vinegar.
• Put the English muffin halves in the toaster. The English muffins and eggs will take the same amount of time, so you want to have the English muffins toasted and ready when the eggs finish cooking.
• Crack one of the eggs into a small bowl. With a spoon, give the simmering water in the pot a quick clockwise stir so there is a little movement in the water. Once the water has almost stopped swirling, gently and carefully dip the bowl into the top of the water and dump the egg into the water. Without agitating the water again, repeat with the other eggs. Poach the eggs for 3 to 4 minutes. You want the whites to be completely set but the yolks to still be jiggly.
• Place a slice of ham, a slice of smoked salmon, or 4 stalks of cooked asparagus on top of each toasted English muffin half.
• Pull each egg out of the water with a slotted spoon. Give it a little shake to let the water drain off, then place it on top of the prepared English muffin. Top each with a couple of generous spoonfuls of the hollandaise sauce. Garnish with a quick shake of cayenne and dill or chives, and you are ready to enjoy!

EGGS BENEDICT WITH HOMEMADE HOLLANDAISE

Steps:

• For hollandaise sauce, in top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over simmering water, whisk egg yolks, water and lemon juice until blended; cook until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and temperature reaches 160°, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Very slowly drizzle in warm melted butter, whisking constantly. Whisk in pepper. Transfer to a small bowl if necessary. Place bowl in a larger bowl of warm water. Keep warm, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve, up to 30 minutes., Place 2-3 in. of water in a large saucepan or skillet with high sides. Bring to a boil; adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Break 1 egg into a small bowl; holding bowl close to surface of water, slip egg into water. Repeat with 3 more eggs. , Cook, uncovered, 2-4 minutes or until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard. Using a slotted spoon, lift eggs out of water. Repeat with remaining 4 eggs., Top each muffin half with a slice of bacon, a poached egg and 2 tablespoons sauce; sprinkle with paprika. Serve immediately.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• 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 and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.
• Brown the bacon in a medium skillet and toast the English muffins, cut sides up, on a baking sheet under the broiler. Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water. Add white vinegar to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil. Gently break 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain. To assemble: Lay a slice of Canadian bacon on top of each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish with chopped parsley.
• Yield: 4 servings

EGGS BENEDICT

Steps:

• To Make Hollandaise: Fill the bottom of a double boiler part-way with water. Make sure that water does not touch the top pan. Bring water to a gentle simmer. In the top of the double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon water.
• Add the melted butter to egg yolk mixture 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time while whisking yolks constantly. If hollandaise begins to get too thick, add a teaspoon or two of hot water. Continue whisking until all butter is incorporated. Whisk in salt, then remove from heat. Place a lid on pan to keep sauce warm.
• Preheat oven on broiler setting. To Poach Eggs: Fill a large saucepan with 3 inches of water. Bring water to a gentle simmer, then add vinegar. Carefully break eggs into simmering water, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Yolks should still be soft in center. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set on a warm plate
• While eggs are poaching, brown the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast the English muffins on a baking sheet under the broiler.
• Spread toasted muffins with softened butter, and top each one with a slice of bacon, followed by one poached egg. Place 2 muffins on each plate and drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately.

CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT WITH BLENDER HOLLANDAISE

Steps:

• Make the hollandaise:
• Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and foamy. Pour into a spouted measuring cup leaving milk solids in bottom of pot; discard milk solids.
• Blend egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tsp. water in a blender until smooth. Remove small inset lid from top and, with the motor running, slowly pour in butter in a thin stream. Add salt and blend until creamy. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice, if needed. Transfer to a glass bowl, measuring cup, or small pot. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface so a skin doesn't form, then place close to stovetop to keep warm up to 1 hour. If hollandaise seems too thick when you're ready to serve, whisk in warm water 1 tsp. at a time.
• Assemble the eggs Benedict:
• Heat a large pot of salted water over high until tiny bubbles appear on the bottom (water temperature should be about 180°F). Reduce heat to very low to maintain the temperature.
• Meanwhile, using a toaster, toaster oven, or oven set at 400°F, toast English muffins until golden brown. Slather muffins with butter and divide among plates.
• Heat a dry large skillet over medium-high and cook bacon until browned and warmed through, 2-3 minutes per side. Top each muffin half with bacon.
• Adjust heat so water temperature is about 180°F. For perfectly shaped poached eggs with minimal wispy egg white strands, set a medium-sized fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl, then gently transfer to strainer. Gently swirl for a few seconds to allow any stray whites to drain, then scrape bottom of strainer on lip of bowl to remove any excess.
• With egg still in strainer, carefully lower into hot water until egg is completely submerged. Gently shake and swirl strainer, shaping egg with a slotted spoon. When edges of egg white start to turn opaque (about 30 seconds), carefully release egg from strainer with slotted spoon into water.
• Cook egg, flipping occasionally with slotted spoon, until white is opaque and firm and yolk is plump and jiggles slightly to the touch, 3-3 1/2 minutes more. While first egg is cooking, repeat steps to cook remaining eggs, but keep an eye on which went in first. Use a timer to avoid overcooking.
• When egg is ready, carefully remove from hot water with slotted spoon. To serve immediately, place a paper towel under spoon and shake spoon gently to remove excess water. Transfer egg to an oiled plate or rimmed baking sheet, or place 1 egg on top of each piece of bacon.
• Spoon a few tablespoons of hollandaise over eggs. Top with chives and a light dusting of paprika, if desired. Serve immediately.
• Do Ahead
• To poach eggs in advance, immediately transfer poached eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Transfer to a resealable container filled with cold water (eggs should be fully submerged) and chill up to 3 days. To serve, place eggs in a bowl of hot tap water until they feel warm to the touch, about 2 minutes.
• Hollandaise can made 2 days ahead; press plastic wrap directly on surface and chill. To serve, fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and set a heatproof bowl on top (bottom of bowl should not touch water). Bring water to a simmer over medium-low heat and transfer hollandaise to bowl. Gently reheat sauce, whisking occasionally, until warm. If it's too thick, whisk in hot tap water 1 tsp. at a time.

EGGS BENEDICT WITH BLENDER HOLLANDAISE

Steps:

• For the Blender Hollandaise, place 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and dash of cayenne into the blender.
• Cover, quickly pulse on and off.
• Heat 1/2 cup butter until melted and bubbling.
• Turn blender onto high speed and slowly pour the butter into the egg mixture.
• Blend until thick and fluffy (about 30 seconds); it makes approximately 2/3 cup of sauce.
• For each serving, toast 1/2 of an English muffin.
• Place a thin slice of oven-broiled ham on each half.
• Top each muffin half with a soft poached egg.
• Pour sauce over the eggs and sprinkle with paprika.
• Serve immediately.

EGGS BENEDICT AND EASY HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Break each egg into an individual small bowl and set aside. Fill a large (12-inch) saute pan about half full with water and bring to a boil. Carefully slide each egg into a separate corner of the pan and simmer for exactly 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the eggs to sit in the water for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the slices of prosciutto on a sheet pan and roast for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Place both halves of each toasted muffin on a dinner plate and, using a slotted spoon, slide a poached egg onto each half. Drizzle hollandaise sauce over the poached eggs and garnish with chives. Serve with a slice of prosciutto.
• Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in the jar of a blender and process on low for 15 seconds. Melt the butter in a small saucepan until it is sizzling hot. Remove the small clear insert in the top of the blender. With the blender on low, slowly add the hot butter to the egg and lemon mixture and blend for 30 seconds, until the sauce is very thick. Use immediately.
• "Barefoot Contessa Foolproof" by Ina Garten © Clarkson Potter 2012. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.