Eggs Benedict Classic Recipe | Sweet Tea and Thyme (2024)

FAQs

How was original Eggs Benedict made? ›

Retired Wall Street stock broker Lemuel Benedict told The New Yorker in 1942 that he ordered the first Eggs Benedict in the Waldorf-Astoria in 1894 to help his hangover. His order consisted of buttered toast, bacon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, cold water, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into butter. Continue whisking over low heat for 8 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

The secret is in the perfectly poached eggs and a no-fail hollandaise sauce.

Continue whisking until the mixture thickens and reaches a luxurious consistency akin to that of traditional hollandaise. White wine vinegar provides an excellent alternative to lemon juice, but it's worth noting that other citrus options like orange, blood orange, or lime juice can also be used as substitutes.

Eggs royale is similar to Eggs Benedict or florentine but uses smoked salmon instead of ham or spinach. Using cold butter rather than warm, melted butter means the sauce takes a few extra minutes to come together, but there's far less risk of it splitting – worth the time we think.

Eggs Benedict: What's the Difference? The primary difference between eggs Florentine and eggs Benedict is the addition of spinach. While eggs Florentine may or may not feature Canadian bacon, the dish always features a sautéed layer of spinach.

It's what happens next that sets them apart: Hollandaise gets its acidity from lemon juice (sometimes vinegar) and is usually seasoned with salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Béarnaise, meanwhile, builds upon hollandaise with white wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and other fresh herbs.

The butter breaks into minute droplets, while the egg yolk acts as an emulsifier, helping to keep those droplets dispersed, as well as thickening the sauce. What you get is a creamy, smooth sauce with a rich texture and mild flavor, perfect for topping eggs, fish, or vegetables.

Method. First make the hollandaise sauce. Using a large balloon whisk, beat the egg yolks with a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoning in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Beat vigorously for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens.

Traditionally due to the hollandaise sauce eggs, benedict is not considered to be a healthy breakfast special. However, with our alternative swaps, we've managed to reduce the number of calories and sugars used in this meal, making it a classic breakfast special going forward.

Is Eggs Benedict meant to be cold? ›

The most important thing is for both the eggs and the Hollandaise to be hot, so be sure to a) plunge the poached eggs back into the hot water just before serving, and b) make the Hollandaise at the very last minute.

Toast the muffins then place in the oven to stay warm; Make Hollandaise Sauce – my method takes 90 seconds flat, and it will stay warm for 15 minutes. Even at room temp is fine – you just don't want it cold; Poach the eggs using my Easy Method so you can make 8 eggs in 2 batches (so there will be no need to reheat).

Eggs Zenedict – adds toasted scone and peameal bacon smothered in sundried tomato Hollandaise. A specialty of restaurants in the defunct Canadian retail chain Zellers. Huevos Benedictos – adds sliced avocado or Mexican chorizo, topped with salsa (such as salsa roja or salsa brava) and Hollandaise sauce.

Not to knock the other spots, but we only care about Delmonico's: [The story] is from a chef in Delmonico's Restaurant in Lower Manhattan who claimed that, in the 1860s, he created the dish for one of his regular customers – a Mrs LeGrand Benedict.

Poached eggs are eggs that you crack, put into boiling water and leave to cook. Poached eggs are used in dishes such as Eggs Benedict, which is an egg on a slice of ham on an English muffin and topped with Hollandaise sauce, and eggs Florentine, which is the same dish that just substitutes spinach for ham.

Popular theory places its origin to a town in Normandy, France called "Isigny-Sur-Mer", known for its high-quality butter. According to history, France couldn't produce its own butter during the First World War and imported it from Holland – which led to it being known as Hollandaise.

It originates from the French word poché, which means small pouch or pocket. Poaching is an ancient cooking technique that was used to prepare different delicacies like dumplings and nut custard. In fact, this cooking technique even finds a mention in the first printed cookbook, Le viandier.