Are you looking for something to do with that carton of eggs in your refrigerator, but are tired of scrambled eggs or fried eggs, despite how easy they are to make? How about some easy eggs Benedict? This delectable staple of a traditional brunch menu may appear difficult to make at first, but it is not.This yummy concoction is a wonderful surprise to make for Mother’s Day, for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast or brunch, or even as a breakfast-for-dinner option later in the evening. Once you become adept at making it, you can also vary the recipe and give it your own flair.
History of Eggs Benedict
Little is known about the origins of eggs Benedict, as historians are divided on who first served this breakfast item with a creamy hollandaise sauce. It is thought to have originated in America, and some sources claim that Chef Charles Ranhofer invented the dish, although no one is sure where the “Benedict” name comes from, although some culinary lore suggests that a hungover Wall Street broker named Lemuel Benedict, in 1894, staggered into the Waldorf hotel just after breakfast ended one morning, hungover from a night of revelry, and ordered two poached eggs served on top of bacon and buttered toast, and poured hollandaise sauce over it by mistake, but thereby giving birth to a new breakfast dish. Waldorf Head Chef Oscar Tschirky was impressed, and added it to the menu.
On the other hand, Delmonico’s of Lower Manhattan states on its menu that “Eggs Benedict was first created in our ovens in 1860.” A third claim to the fame of the dish was later, in the 1960s, made by Edward P. Montgomery, who made the dish from a recipe passed down from an uncle, at the behest of Commodore E. C. Benedict. Whatever the origin, it became a cornerstone of Sunday brunch menus following its introduction, and has stayed that way ever since. If you want to give it a try making them at home, there are many easy egg Benedict recipe sources out there, and if you want to know “how do you make it,” or how to make the best eggs Benedict, look no further than right here!
Let’s Get Cracking
At first, it might seem that classic eggs Benedict is complicated to make. Granted, the traditional eggs Benedict recipe does require a bit of preparation, and in the past, without modern appliances in the kitchen, making homemade eggs Benedict was a labor-intensive job, especially the hollandaise sauce. The sauce was usually made concurrently with the rest of the dish, meaning that the chef had several things going on at once on the stove. However, if you make the hollandaise sauce ahead of time, it doesn’t need to be that difficult. There are many sides that go well with eggs Benedict, such as a spring salad with nuts and fruit, or even roasted asparagus.
Easy Eggs Benedict Recipe
Don’t let the preparation of this yummy brunch dish scare you off. Try this recipe first if you want to know how to make eggs Benedict at home.
Ingredients
6 slices of bacon
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons of white vinegar
2 English muffins
butter
2 tablespoons of parsley
Hollandaise Sauce
10 tablespoons of melted butter
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
3 dashes of Tabasco sauce
Steps
1. Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium heat, frying slowly until browned on both sides.
Fill a large saucepan about 2/3 with water, bring it to a boil, and then add the vinegar. Reduce to a simmer once the water has returned to a boil.
2. Make the hollandaise sauce by melting the butter, putting the three egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt in a blender, and blending for about 45 seconds. While keeping the blender on a low setting, trickle in the melted butter. Transfer to a container for pouring once blended.
3. Poach the eggs one at a time and let sit in a pan for four minutes. Do this by boiling some water in a pot, bringing it to a boil where the water is just bubbling. Have the eggs already cracked in a small cup ready to go once the water is ready. Add a little salt to the water first. Stir the water firmly and swiftly until it forms a little “tornado” of water, and drop the egg inside. Done properly, the swirling water will cause the egg to wrap itself around the yolk. Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Toast the English muffins to the desired level of brown.
5. Assemble the eggs Benedict by buttering one side of an English muffin, topping it with bacon, putting the poached egg on top of the bacon, and pouring some of the hollandaise sauce over the entire thing. Sprinkle a little parsley and Tobasco on top.
This is an easy method to make eggs Benedict, but if you want to make healthy eggs Benedict, you can eliminate the bacon or swap it for low-fat ham and serve it with a side of fresh spinach. The recipe given here is a more traditional eggs Benedict recipe, but if you want to know how to cook eggs Benedict in a variety of different ways, you might try variations such as a Southwestern flare with chilies and salsa, serving it in a baked potato instead of over an English muffin, or as a quiche with different toppings. One Canadian restaurant serves eggs Benedict over sweet potato toast with Canadian bacon as a variation.
Avocado toast is considered a descendant of eggs Benedict, and there is a “California” version that uses tomatoes instead of bacon. Eggs Benedict “Atlantic” uses smoked salmon instead of bacon, and diners consider this to be a healthier option than bacon. Eggs Benedict “Chesapeake” uses crab meat, and Eggs Trivette is a Cajun style version of the dish that uses crawfish meat and Creole mustard in the hollandaise sauce. This website offers many suggestions on the ways you can vary eggs Benedict, but the possibilities for variations of the recipe are endless. And if you’re wondering what to serve with your tasty creation, check out this website for a list of suggested sides that go well with eggs Benedict.
Give It a Try!
Do not be frustrated if you don’t get it perfect on your first try. Making eggs Benedict does not have to be difficult, but getting the sauce and poached eggs just right might take some practice. Making this traditional brunch item doesn’t have to be a headache, and with a little practice, you can make Sunday brunch far more enjoyable and interesting for your family.
