Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict

Backstory 

The morning after I cooked the Beer Can Chicken I made my first attempt at an Eggs Benedict recipe. I had a couple of issues with it however. I intended to start the English Muffins the night before, but we ate so late that I didn’t have time before going to bed. We used store-bought bread instead. I also could not get the eggs to poach properly so after a few messy attempts, we ultimately ended frying the eggs. I wanted to correct these issues here. 

Eggs Benedict consists of four parts: an English Muffin which is topped with Canadian bacon which is topped with a poached egg which is topped with a Hollandaise sauce. What had attracted me to this recipe was the opportunity to prepare homemade English Muffins, as I grew up with Thomas’ English Muffins and I wanted to learn the process of how to do it from scratch. I’ve also made a Hollandaise sauce for the Potato Crusted Tilapia With Hollandaise Sauce recipe, however I’ve updated the cooking method that is straight out of culinary school. A quick YouTube search yielded the proper method to poach an egg. 

Recipe 

For the English Muffins, I used the recipe from Michelle of Big Black Dog. I used the Hollandaise sauce from Chef Kerber of Pittsburgh Hot Plate and I used the cooking method for poaching eggs from The Culinary Institute of America. 

ENGLISH MUFFINS 

Ingredients: 

Makes about 12 regular sized muffins 

1 quarter-ounce package yeast 

1 cup scalded milk 

2 3/4 cups flour 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

3/4 teaspoon sugar 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

Corn meal, for dusting 

English Muffins Ingredients

Method: 

1. In a small sauce pan scald milk and set aside to cool. 

2. Combine yeast and cooled milk in a large bowl. Gradually add flour and sugar. Stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap, and leave out for at least 4 hours or you can make it the night before and let it rise over night. 

3. After the rise add salt and baking soda and mix well. 

Dough The Morning After

4. Form the English muffins free hand by taking a slight 1/2 cup dough, forming it into a muffin shape and flattening it by hand or roll out to 3/4? and cut with a biscuit cutter into rounds. 

5. Spray griddle or skillet lightly with spray oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Heat to medium, 350 degrees, and cook muffins for about 6-10 minutes on each side depending on how large the muffins are, or until browned on the top and bottom and cooked through. If the muffins  rise while on the griddle, flatten them a bit with a spatula after the first turn. 

Cooking In An Electric Fryer

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE 

Ingredients: 

4 egg yolks 

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick) 

1 teaspoon chopped parsley 

1 pinch cayenne 

1 pinch salt 

Hollandaise Ingredients

Method: 

1. Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. 

2.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. 

3. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in parsley, 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. 

POACHED EGGS 

The YouTube demonstration on the website I referenced above is very helpful in this matter. 

Ingredients: 

3 quarts water, or as needed 

2 teaspoons salt 

6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 

6 large eggs 

Poached Eggs Ingredients Plus Canadian Bacon

Method: 

1. Combine the water, salt, and vinegar in a deep pan and bring to a gentle simmer. 

2. Break each egg into a clean cup, and carefully slide each egg into the poaching water. Cook until the whites are set and opaque, about 3 minutes. 

Eggs Poaching

3. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and blot them on absorbent towelling. Serve immediately or store chilled eggs in the refrigerator until needed. 

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 

1. Split each muffin in half using a fork and lightly toast. Butter each half if desired. 

2. Saute six slices Canadian bacon over medium-low heat, a minute or two per side. 

Sauteed Canadian Bacon

3. Top each English Muffin half with a slice of Canadian bacon and a poached egg. Spoon warm Hollandaise over each egg and serve. 

Notes 

1. English Muffins. I prepared the dough the evening prior, but when I checked on it the morning I prepared the dish to completion, the dough didn’t rise as I expected. Because of this I was only able to form five muffins. Instead of light and fluffy, they were doughy and hard–even to the point that I had difficulty slicing through it with a fork. I used a heavy spoon to stir the dough after I added the flour and I’m now thinking I should have used a hand mixer with the dough attachments. The recipe I used also listed honey as one of the ingredients, but when I reviewed the cooking method, I didn’t see where I should use it so I omitted it from the recipe referenced above. 

2. Hollandaise Sauce. It was only after was reviewing the pictures that I remembered the parsley. Chef Kerber doesn’t use it in his Hollandaise but I think it gives the sauce a better appearance. 

Baptism Evaluation 

Taste: 7 

Ease of Preparation: 1 

Sophistication: 6 

Bottom Line: Yes 

Final Thoughts 

For my first breakfast dish posted to this publication, this dish was very ambitious. In fact, this is easily the most complex dish I have created due to so many moving parts that I needed to manage at once, however I have found that the dishes that challenge me are the ones I enjoy preparing the most because it is only then that I am truly learning to cook. I need to prepare this dish again to perfect the it. And despite the issues I had with the English Muffins it certainly tasted good with lots of flavor. My wife certainly appreciated it and made a point to note that she finished it! 

Enjoy!