The Dish on Eggs Benny
FOOD & DRINK / WRITTEN BY CHOICES' CHEF ANTONIO
No one can quite agree on the origins of eggs benedict, but when decadent French hollandaise met a crisp English muffin, thick cut bacon and the humble poached egg for the first time, a classic breakfast dish was born. If you’re looking to create a from-scratch benedict for the first time, you’ll first have to figure out the two main steps: poaching the perfect egg and perfecting your hollandaise.
It is always best to poach your egg so that they’re ready right as you’re going to serve. Choose the freshest possible eggs, and I strongly recommend organic. To poach an egg, bring a pot of water to a boil, add a couple pinches of salt and then reduce to a simmer. Crack your egg in to a cup or ramekin, and then drop your eggs in to the simmering water, one at a time. Each egg will take between two to four minutes, depending on how soft you like your eggs. Remove them with a slotted spoon, then place over your toasted English muffin and bacon. If your eggs feel too soft, you can easily return them to the water for an extra minute or two.
For hollandaise you’ll need egg yolks, lemon juice, melted warm butter, salt and cayenne pepper. To start whisk the yolks and lemon juice together until frothy and doubled in volume. Place your bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler, making sure the water does not touch your bowl. Commence whisking as the egg mixture begins to warm up. Drizzle in the melted butter while continuously whisking, until all the butter is emulsified with the eggs. Remove from heat, and then mix in salt and cayenne pepper. Hollandaise is best served as soon as possible. One of the main challenges of creating your own eggs benedict is the timing. You want everything to come together at the same time!
One great thing about eggs benedict is how easy it is to customize to your own tastes. Get creative with it! Add sautéed spinach, wilted kale or fresh arugula to get some healthy greens on the plate. Back bacon, thick sliced Praga ham, cooked chorizo, Italian sausage, pulled pork or Montreal-style smoked meat could be the inspiration point for a new household favourite. You could even try swapping bacon for smoked salmon or pan-fried tofu. The basic lightly buttered English muffin base can also evolve into a fresh scone, thick slice of artisan sourdough bread, or even a potato pancake. Get even more complex by adding in components like pesto, tapenade, melty cheese, salsa or avocado.
It’s important not to go too crazy on your first attempt, though! If you like your bennies, master the basics first, then keep cracking and work on your personal favourite flavour variation.
